It never fails. Each year around this time animal rights groups ratchet up their indignation about the way (they say) turkeys are treated before they end up on Thanksgiving dinner tables. Inhumane, says the Humane Society of the United States. The idea, we suspect, is to inject just a spoonful of guilt (rather than basting butter) into that turkey dinner.
While there is nothing wrong with ensuring that the big, meaty birds are treated humanely in their formative years -- oops, that's weeks -- the reality is a bit more gritty. Millions of turkeys are hatched, fed and fattened for one purpose: to be slaughtered, processed and roasted to a crispy brown for holiday dinners. That's it. That's all.
There is nothing about the procedure that is pretty. Preparing livestock for retail markets is not a job for the faint of heart.
But in order to meet the demand for turkeys -- and not only at Thanksgiving, but year 'round -- producers have developed systems to grow, process and distribute millions of the nutritious birds. Simply put, turkey is good, relatively inexpensive food. And it meets those criteria because of mass production.
The folks who tout the benefits of "free-range" birds -- turkeys grown on farms rather than in turkey barns -- have the luxury of indulging middle-class sensibilities about animal "rights" because they can afford it. A free-range bird costs a lot more than a turkey produced in the kind of operations that make Minnesota the No. 2 turkey producing state in the nation.
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But let's get serious here. Turkeys -- free-range or not -- are grown for food. They are not pets. They are not especially bright. They are not known for their personalities, loyalty or ability to guard home and hearth against intruders. Their lives are short and have a single purpose: To become dinner.
Yes, companies that raise should be required to make the birds' lives as comfortable as possible. And most growers do just that because their livelihood depends on producing a high-quality product. Quality is a function of humane treatment.
So enjoy that turkey dinner on Thursday. And remember, every year about this time the animal rights folks (sincere they are) would rather you eat tofu and turnips. If that's your preference, fine. But if you like a juicy turkey and all the fixins, go for it with gusto and without worrying if your bird was a happy bird.
Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper's Editorial Board
