It's amazing the amount of people that claim to be in it for the animals but are in it for themselves, for only certain species, not in it if their friend or associate is at fault, not in it if doing the right thing is going against popular opinion or if they don't benefit.
At first I was shocked no one at Ayrshire Farm would speak up for the pigs, they didn't want to highlight that their co-workers, boss, or the owner of the farm was in violation of state and federal law and certification standards.
Then I was shocked the certifiers standards are in fact mere suggestions and even in light of major and minor nonconformances do not remove farms from their organization.
Then Loudoun County doesn't deny abuse but trusts these criminals will stop committing crimes!
Keep in mind locals applaud the farm for their high standards in livestock raising and handling yet most had never stepped a foot on the farm and none had lived and worked on it.
Now what I'm exposing highlights a broken system run by broken people.
What I'm highlighting is...
The farm isn't doing their job.
The certification organizations aren't doing their job.
Loudoun County isn't doing their job.
The Commonwealth of Virginia isn't doing their job.
The USDA isn't doing their job.
Veterinarians who could help decline to.
Citizens who could help decline to.
The list goes on and on...
Everyone above agrees pigs were/are abused and neglected.
No one will do anything. The pigs continue to suffer.
Know who is offended? Ayrshire Farm. Humane Farm Animal Care, Oregon Tilth, Loudoun County, the Commonwealth Attorneys Office, the USDA, veterinarians sitting on their thumbs, citizens who refuse to engage.
Everyone and everything fails the pigs.
Highlighting a broken system doesn't fix anything...it causes those already down to get kicked harder for bringing to light what is wrong. People don't want to fix anything. They want to talk in circles without hurting feelings.
I'm here to hurt feelings. If you don't have thick skin you're going to,get hurt. If you are to proud to see things aren't working, you're going to get hurt. If you are a coward driven by ego and greed you are going to get hurt.
People don't want to listen. Their fragile selves get offended rather than encouraged to change, do better, fix the problem so the problem goes away!
Some people can't be silenced. I'm one of them.
So keep calling this a personal vendetta creating drama while in the same breath acknowledging this case is a clear violation of state code, that these pigs were neglected and denied medical care.
If persistence is considered a vendetta and the truth is considered drama, so be it.
This vendetta driven drama queen is here to stay.
My name is Meredith Amonson and the silent absence of suffering is my goal. Pigs not being physically abused, denied basic needs, and willfully withheld medication is my goal. Holding those responsible for crimes accountable is my goal. Highlighting the impropriety within both the public, private, and nonprofit sector is my goal.
Preach! I admire your tenacity.
ReplyDeleteIs vendetta driven drama queen supposed to be a bad thing? I think big things are generated by big, driven behavior.
ReplyDeleteI see this all the time in government. People keep quiet because they don't want to loose their job, not because they disagree with you.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not making excuses for these folks. But think about their side of the story. A middle age mom or dad with a couple of kids at home to support. They need the government-job paycheck, and health insurance. They have kids to feed and care for, and family expenses: Rent or mortgage, electric, water & sewer, clothing, the list goes on. If they stand up for pigs, and get fired, where will they find another good-paying government job?
What kind of crimes are involved? Felony? Misdemeanor? Code violation? Animal law? Not all crimes are treated the same by the justice system.
I understand that's why the farm employees are quiet, but the County nor the commonwealth are doing their jobs. They took oaths and they are not fulfilling them.
DeleteYes, they took oaths, but what is the penalty for breaking the oath? Nothing, far as I can tell. And they fear loosing their jobs too. It's worse in government. They are all just one false accusation away from getting fired, or worse, jailed on some nonsense charge.
ReplyDeleteIt comes as a shock to people like you when you realize our whole government is corrupt, or looks the other way.
Now its more than pigs, its about the whole system. Now what? Are you gonna take on the government? They love that, grinding an ordinary person into the dirt.
This is why people keep their mouth shut.
Hopefully this trial will lead to a concrete resolution and we (i) can move on from here.
DeleteAfter my dogs pass I'm traveling and taking a breather from our corrupt government. So disgusting.
That's fine, traveling and taking a breather may restore your energy, and may give you perspective.
ReplyDeleteIf you plan to be an advocate for the rest of your life, in opposition to the government, you may want to find a spouse who shares your passion, and marry him. It may make things easier, but that is just my speculation.
Another alternative is to form a group of like-minded advocates. Get tax-exempt status, and raise funds. I recently interviewed a person who's job in corporate America was to make corporate donations to such charities. Sometimes it was effort to find enough qualified charities to give away the money to, she said.
Meredith, you are still welcome to email me or call me for any reason. You are on a learning curve, and a quick study. You may have been put-off by my last email awhile back, but I was just being candid.
ReplyDelete