The raw power of money

Salon.com reports that nine U.S. states have “ag-gag” laws on the books — laws that make it illegal for anyone to record what occurs on farms without the owner’s permission.  The purpose is to make sure that practices that would horrify consumers of any meat are not made public.  The laws come in the wake of videos showing factory farms’ illegal practices, such as beating animals, dragging them across floors with chains around their necks, etc.  The most recent anti-whistleblower law, in Idaho, ensures that the criminal in such cases is the person exposing the practices.  Salon.com writer Lindsay Abrams says, “But that these laws effectively allow animal cruelty to go undetected and unreported only scratches the surface of why critics find them so appalling. In the interest of protecting the agriculture industry, ag-gag laws criminalize whistleblowers and, ultimately, ensure consumers remain in the dark.”