Prop 2 Passes in the Golden State, but All that Glitters is Not Gold
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
California�s Proposition 2, a ballot measure led by the Humane Society of the United States, grants pigs, chickens, and calves the right to turn around, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. The proposition passed with flying colors at the polls on Tuesday (63% of the votes in favor and 37% against) and will go into effect on January 1, 2015.
If farmers dare disobey the measure, they could find themselves living in confinement�violators are subject to misdemeanor penalties, including up to 180 days behind bars and/or a fine not to exceed $1,000.
Yet, while many animal rights activists are celebrating the victory as a step in the right direction, other die-hard devotees to the �No Kill� philosophy such as Nathan J. Winograd and Friends of Animals voice opposition. For instance, Lee Hall, of Friends of Animals, comments, �it appeals to conservative values and an idealized concept of animal agribusiness.�
What do you think? Could measures like Prop 2 work against animal right causes in the long run because they will make people too comfortable with factory farming? Post your comments below!