Ra's Statements About 2D Entities

[Monica]

We've explored what Ra has to say about higher 2D entities. Most of us have dogs and/or cats and readily acknowledge their personalities and sentience, while, at the same time, continuing to disregard the sentience of animals raised for the express purpose of being slaughtered for meat. What about the people who were/are raising these farm animals and directly killing them? What have they observed, that can give us clues as to the consciousness of farm animals, and what do they have to say?

Novelist and slaughterhouse journalist Upton Sinclair once wrote, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” But while it may be difficult, it is not impossible. The following profiles are hope-filled proof that even those who stand to lose most by renouncing animal exploitation are frequently brave enough, and caring enough, to do so.

1. Jan Gerdes, former dairy farmer
Hof Butenland is a farmed animal sanctuary in North Germany founded by Jan Gerdes & Karin Mück. Jan was a dairy farmer for many years but after a change of heart that included the decision to go vegan, he converted the farm into a sanctuary and vowed to devote the rest of his life to caring for farmed animals and working to end their exploitation. Speaking about the animals he once used, ate, and routinely sent to slaughter, Jan says:

“Before, I denied that I liked them. There was no other way. I wanted to earn a living. And now they are more like comrades. You are happy, you talk, you talk to them. You talk to a cow as well as to a pig or to a cat or a dog; I don’t see any difference. They all have their qualities and they are happy when I talk to them— and they tell me something. It really is a great way of living together.”

This former dairy farmer, Jan, says that animals feel emotions and he talks to them just the same as to a cat or dog. Jan sees no difference.

2. Harold Brown, former beef and dairy farmer: "“I have often heard the word “humane” used in relation to meat, dairy, eggs, and other products… I have always found this curious, because my understanding is that humane means to act with kindness, tenderness, and mercy. I can tell you as a former animal farmer that while it may be true that you can treat a farm animal kindly and show tenderness toward them, mercy is a different matter.

…I hardly thought twice about the things I had to do on the farm: driving cattle, castrations, dehorning, and I did my fair share of butchering too.

Nowadays I ask myself from both the perspective of the old me and the new me, what does humane mean in the way it is being used? The old me says, “That is an odd word to associate with meat, dairy, and eggs, but hey, if it sells more products, why not?” The new me asks, “Back in the day, I could, and did, raise animals with kindness and tenderness, but how did I show them mercy?” Mercy — a unique human trait of refraining from doing harm.”

Interesting that Harold draws a distinction between treating an animal 'humanely' and showing them mercy. What is mercy? Harold seems to indicate that showing mercy towards an animal would be not killing them!

Is mercy an act of compassion? When presented with an opportunity to choose compassion, and show mercy to a sentient being, what would be an appropriate response for someone who is STO-oriented?

from Former Meat-and-Dairy Farmers/Ranchers