Jenni Rempel: Cereal and rape for breakfast?

    1 of 1 2 of 1

      Are you having rape for breakfast? The recent string of sexual assaults at the University of British Columbia may be shocking to some; however, these assaults have occurred in addition to the incalculable rapes and assaults that happen each day around the world. From developing nations to Metro Vancouver, sexual assault can occur at any time and can happen anywhere, including the breakfast table. Canadians are surrounded by subversive sexual assault in their bowls of cereal and their cups of coffee, because milk is a product of rape.

      Many people are not aware of the unavoidable connection between dairy milk and sexual assault. Just like human mothers produce milk after they become pregnant and give birth, cows also are impregnated in order for them to produce milk. The industry often uses a device nicknamed the “rape rack” to artificially inseminate female cows. Farmers may opt to shove a 12-inch-long “insemination rod” into their cow’s vagina, guiding it by putting their arm (to at least the elbow) into the cow’s anus. When the mother cow gives birth, her baby is taken away from her so that humans can drink the milk instead.

      Don’t believe it? Even on the industry-sponsored website FarmIssues.com they reveal that dairy farms have a separate calf barn where the baby cows are taken after they are born, separated from their mothers. Where do these cows go? The website also reveals that veal calves (male babies) are purchased directly from dairy farmers seven to 10 days after they are born (and then killed before they reach adulthood to fulfill the demand for veal meat). Female babies are raised until they are old enough to be artificially inseminated, and then the vicious cycle repeats. When their production declines, dairy cows are sent to slaughter (how else would the farms profit while paying to feed and care for “spent” cows that no longer produce milk?).

      As children, most Canadians are told that cows “give” milk, but this explanation is misinformed. Just as women do not “give” their consent to everyone they see on the street by walking alone at night, cows do not “give” their milk, but rather have it taken.

      We ween from drinking our mother’s milk at a young age, but we are strangely compelled to suckle indirectly from the teat of another mammal. Local farmers will say that their cows are happy and treated nicely; however, the murder and rape of these animals is an unavoidable part of this profit-based system. Organic and free-range labels still have the same assaults connected with their products, not to mention the incalculable uninvited gropings and unwanted touches that happen during the actual milking process.

      What about the nutritional benefits of milk? Where else can we get our calcium? Spinach, broccoli, kale, and other leafy greens have calcium, as do fortified non-dairy milks. Next time you go grocery shopping choose not to support rape and sexual assault. There are a number of non-dairy milks available, including soy, rice, almond, coconut, hemp, cashew, hazelnut, and flax-based milks.

      Choose a vegan milk and join the movement to stop systematic rape and sexual assault. It doesn’t take much to make compassionate food choices, and it astronomically reduces the suffering of non-human animals, who just like us, do not want to give their bodies and their lives for the pleasure of a select few. If we really want to be a society that says “no” to sexual violence, then we have to look at our own choices and stop supporting sexual assault, directly and indirectly.

      Got milk? Not me. And I am not asking for it.

      Comments

      71 Comments

      Bundlekin

      Nov 18, 2013 at 1:43pm

      For whatever reason this makes me want to listen to Desolation Row, really, really loudly. Not that I am for cow-rape, but if a major weekly in a major city cares about this sort of stuff, I wonder what colour their passports are.

      ted

      Nov 18, 2013 at 1:46pm

      are you insane? very little of this is even remotely true.

      ted

      Nov 18, 2013 at 1:50pm

      actually, much of it IS true. just the way it's worded. for shock value. clap clap. well done, eco-warrior. .. but for the record, cows are not necessarily impregnated to give milk. they give milk anyway.

      RUK

      Nov 18, 2013 at 2:20pm

      This is very gross and therefore effective article.

      But because this is the Internet and people take issue with everything, I am going to suggest that the language of criminal assault on humans is somewhat problematic when applied to other species.

      You are basically saying that if we would not rape a person, we ought not rape a cow.

      With respect, I don't think my privacy and security rights equate to those of cows.

      Cows are very fine creatures in themselves, but to argue against their sexual manipulation is curious. Humans have sexually manipulated them from time out of mind; indeed, they would not even exist in their currently placid, high-yielding states, were it not for generations of intentional, unnatural breeding.

      The deliberate or indiferent torture of cows is sufficiently objectionable in itself. Temple Grandin, for example, is a hero to many of us because of her excellent work that has reduced the sufferings of these poor animals.

      I suggest that most readers are perfectly capable of opposing animal cruelty without needing to be manipulated by striking criminal terms like "rape" and "murder."

      patricia tallman

      Nov 18, 2013 at 2:26pm

      excellent, it's the truth that every milk consumer needs to know and make a conscious choice NOT to support rape and violence!

      Kyle

      Nov 18, 2013 at 2:39pm

      let's hope this is the first and last piece of sensationalist garbage the straight publishes from Jenni.

      Mimi

      Nov 18, 2013 at 2:47pm

      Ya Ted, as a fellow female mammal I also 'give milk anyway' even though I am not impregnated. It happens all the time, women randomly shooting milk from their breasts for no reason at all, WATCH OUT, you could get it in the face.
      UNBELIEVABLE the the majority of the people still partaking in adult, inter-species breastfeeding have no idea how the milk is acquired.
      Cows DO have to be impregnated to lactate just like every other mammal on the planet. They will still lactate after their baby is born for a period of time, that milk is meant to feed their INFANTS not grown adult humans.
      Time to ween yourselves, GROW UP.

      Mimi

      Nov 18, 2013 at 2:48pm

      It's unsurprising that most of the negative comments here appear to be men.

      Hazlit

      Nov 18, 2013 at 3:22pm

      @ Mimi,

      Men may be many be many things, but they are not "negative comments."

      we're the only animal in the world

      Nov 18, 2013 at 3:35pm

      That drinks another species milk.

      Let's end gross evil stuff happening to animals by eating plants. Mmmm plants.

      Tasty!!