Bring on the CCTV

I came across a great op-ed in The Guardian (UK), by Chas Newkey-Burden, reminding British citizens of the commitment Prime Minister Theresa May made to put CCTV in all slaughterhouses.

This is a move that should be free of controversy in any country. Virtually everyone is against animal cruelty and in favour of “humane slaughter” (leaving aside for the moment the inherent contradiction of such a phrase). Every time horrific abuses are exposed at a slaughterhouse, the owners and managers unfailingly claim it’s an anomaly, that they weren’t aware and that mistreatment of animals will not be tolerated. It’s a flat-out lie. When abuse is consistently exposed in every investigation, that’s not an anomaly, it’s the norm. And because it’s the norm, those in charge at slaughterhouses know it goes on and they clearly condone it. They don’t care. But they say they care, and so they should have absolutely no problem with CCTV, monitored by an independent body. There is simply no excuse to oppose such a move, and it should be happening in every country that considers itself civilized.