90% + of downed animals make it to your stomach.

[Robin Hood]

Fewer than 10% of downed animals get tested by the USDA. I did not know these facts, if I had known, I would not have ever eaten meat. I'm going back to tofu stir fry.
http://www.hsus.org/ace/20207

Veneman told the media on Tuesday that "it is our standard operating procedure that what they call 'downer animals' will be tested if they come to the slaughter facility as a downer animal." But The HSUS believes those assurances are hollow. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the General Accounting Office, the USDA tests fewer than 10 percent of downers who find their way into the food supply.

"We have been warning for years that 'downed animals' represent the greatest threat of spreading mad cow disease in the United States," said Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president for The HSUS. "Sadly, it appears that our well-grounded predictions have been realized. It is time for the USDA to impose an immediate ban on the slaughter of any downed animals for human consumption."

"By allowing the continued processing of downed animals, we are playing Russian roulette with the American food supply," Pacelle added.

Congress grappled with the downer issue earlier this year. In November, the Senate passed an amendment, advanced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), to the Agriculture Appropriations bill, which would have prevented meat from slaughtered downers from entering the U.S. food supply. When the House narrowly rejected a similar amendment by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), it set up a battle in conference committee, which ultimately jettisoned the provision.

[Cleita]

1. They haven't entered my stomach in over a decade.

eom

[Robin Hood]

2. Good for you.

I used to be a vegetarian, but began eating meat again about eight years ago. But no more, It's just gross what they do to animals and to us.

[FredrickDouglass]

3. Dude, corporations don't give a f@#$ about you

Stop supporting terror and go have a steak.

Merry Christmas

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Yep this is going to be a merry christmas

DON'T FLY, (you may be blwon to bits by them evildoers)
DON'T Eat any meat, (but we are really, if you trust us)

But have a very merry Christmas and remember, do your patriotic duty and shop till you drop, preferably credit.

THis has been a message from the Department of Homeland Security

Somehow I can see the next adds from the Add Council going over how we should eat steak, it is manly and ... patriotic

YUK

[leesa]

29. What on earth are you talking about?

[Cleita]

5. I'm not really against eating meat.

It is the way the animals are farmed that is BARBARIC and if I have to be forever a vegetarian I will be, until this changes. I do think Americans eat too much meat anyway. Once a week should be enough.

[Blue Gardener]

12. Me too!

Not even Jello, or anything made with gelatin. Ever read how that stuff is made? They essentially boil cow hide and strain out all the gross crap like the fur, the remaining which then becomes gelatin. Ugh. They even make marshmallows out of it, so no more S'mores either.

[pansypoo53219]

6. i don't get it

they have been lying for years that we don't have mad cow(call it something else-that will fool em).
why change it now. why did they call it mad cow now? i would really really like to know the answer.

[Nlighten1]

7. Oprah got sued over reporting on this.

I bet she feels vindicated now.

[Blue Gardener]

13. I know I feel vindicated

After years of ridicule and snide remarks from friends and family for not eating meat, I can now say "I told you so". Should be a fun Christmas this afternoon!

[creativelcro]

8. Glad I don't eat meat anymore... Too gross...

[RebelOne]

11. Same here.

[Woodstock]

9. I don't eat meat - and don't miss it one bit

There's lots of great veggie/organic food out there.

The cruelty to animals that are bred and then slaughtered for our food is extreme. As soon as I realized just how horribly cruel and how pervasive, there was no choice but to stop supporting the industry. I think most people would do the same if only they knew...

Read about the cruelty that goes on every day all over the coutry here from the Humane society:

http://www.hsus.org/ace/11505

Ghandi said:

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.

[Robin Hood]

10. I failed to mention that this has affected me personally.

I live in a suburb of Portland Oregon where that mad cow had been processed and distributed to local stores like Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Winco. I shop at all three. This is real scary for me because I don't believe that this is an isolated incident and that this has been going on for years now.

Furthermore, about a week ago in a town about a half hour down the road from me there was a blurb on local TV about some man having contracted SARS in Mcminville Oregon. That was the last that I heard about it. It seems like the media begins to report this stuff and then its quickly snuffed out, I'm suspecting that government agencies are suppressing the information. I do not trust anything that they say anymore. Not one thing!!

[depakid]

14. Portland is about the most vegeterian friendly place around

In addition to an excellent selections of meat substitutes in local markets like Freddies and Trader Joe's, just about every restaurant around here has vege options. Hell, even Burgerville offers garden burgers. I feel sorry for people down south, where it's just damn inconvenient to be a vegetarian.

There is no way I would ever consider eating red meat again, knowing what I do about how it's "manufactured." Some years ago I read ex-rancher Howard F. Lyman's book "Mad Cowboy," and that was quite enough for me to digest. It's not only BSE you have to worry about, but e-coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, too. Disgusting. I'd sooner eat dirt than hamburger.

[Don_G]

15. It's Far Worse Than It Looks On The Surface

Quite a few products in the Medical/Drug Industry are based on cattle.

Here's a partial list: http://www.rense.com/general6/cow.htm

[JohnKleeb]

16. You're making me consider going vegiteran much

I really have considered abstaining from beef, today or the coming days I am gonna be having my last beef. Sigh that means no more beef fajitas :(. Bye beef it was nice knowing ya.

[creativelcro]

17. There are really good meat substitutes these days

They can make almost anything with tofu varieties... Had "chicken" patties that have no meat at all, but tasted better than chicken. Used to like the Boca burgers (veggie), but I got a bit sick of them with time. I found a new brand that is really awesome. Have to check in the fridge on the name though :D

[shanti]

18. the vegetarian websites

are going to have a LOT of visitors in the near future! what do you think?

[Blue Gardener]

25. Smart Dogs

Yummy. Taste like meat hot dogs, but have never bitten into a chunk of bone like you do in meat hot dogs or sausage. Much better.

[Cleita]

19. You should explore other southwestern style food.

It really lends itself to vegetarian meals. I make tacos with beans and black olives instead of meat and mashed avocadoes in place of cheese. Tamales, enchiladas and chile rellenos can all be made meatless. I don't know about fajitas, but a little experimenting with seitan and tofu might yield a tasty result.

[Mairead]

21. I agree on the SW-style foods!

One year a friend and I spent a day making hundreds of tofu enchiladas for the freezer. They were outstanding. Yellow-corn tortillas, shredded, marinated tofu, a nice pour-over sauce with ground chipotle pepper...yum!

The shredded, marinated tofu would work a treat in fajitas, too. (And, of course, in all the other norteño finger-foods)

[KT2000]

24. Whistle blowers from years ago

warned about the use of downer cows. It was so many years ago that we had not heard of Mad Cow Disease. They were the workers that moved the cattle. Industry again got their way - profits come first.

Wonder how much of this disaster will be paid for by the public dollar.

[Mairead]

20. Today I have a nice pot of green-curried tofu simmering on the stove

Tofu (aburage), Thai eggplants (the golf-ball ones that shade from white to green), fresh green beans, red pepper, and pineapple chunks in a coconut-milk base flavored with Mae Ploy green curry paste and fresh sweet basil leaves. That bowl of curry and a nice bottle of wheat beer will make a superb dinner and entirely safe too.

[Crowdance]

26. Sounds heavenly. Got enough for company? eom

[LIPiggy]

22. disgusting

This is teribly disturbing. I have been a vegetarian for soem time now, I can't believe people still put that crap into thier bodies.

[Mountainman]

23. Not my stomach! I live in open range territory and the cattle are the

grossest things around here. The do nothing but sleep and graze. They are covered with flies and ticks and shit constantly as the walk around with shit all over their backsides. I would never want to eat such a filthy thing.

[karlschneider]

27. Darn right! I'm sticking with lettuce. What's a little bird shit among

eaters?

And I just rinse off the few million microbes that stick to those innocent carrots. I might even take a short vacation to the Florida beaches, have a swim and immerse myself in water full of fish crap and whale sperm. Shower after, though, no problem.
:eyes:

[ArkDem]

28. Would geese be in the "downed animals" catagory?

.