PETA wrote a letter to Ben & Jerry's encouraging them to switch from using cow milk to human milk. PETA's position is that a Swiss restauranteur has pledged to switch to 75% human milk, so Ben & Jerry's should, too. Now, you all know how much I love the lefties. But I see a few problems with this:
1. Ben & Jerry's is pretty granola-hippie to begin with. Yes, they get their cow milk from a cooperative creamery. They do not use milk from cows given the recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). I'm sure they seem like a likely candidate to begin milking women to make Cherry Garcia. But PETA, pick on someone who's not doing any good! Both Ben and Jerry are reportedly trying to do what's right for their company, employees and community - the epitome of good corporate citizens.
2. PETA's letter states that cows would have a better life if they weren't forced to get pregnant, give birth and be milked for several years. Wouldn't a woman's life be better, too, if she weren't subjected to what a cow goes through? Save the cows; punish the women. I'm sure you are all now picturing postpartum women on all fours in a barn having automatic milkers hooked up to their very full breasts...now let me ask you, PETA - are they smiling? I think not. I'll admit I believe people rank higher in the hierarchy of life. I know it's unpopular, because many of you have told me it is, but if I have a chance to save my nephew or his dog, I'm saving my nephew. He can get a new dog later. And those of you who would choose the opposite may want to consider re-evaluating what's really important, and consider if you truly understand what a human connection actually is (that's the nicest way I could say that!).
3. Now, consider the math. On average, a woman produces 800 mL of milk daily. Less than one liter in one day. A cow can produce around 5 gallons per day. Let me do the conversion for you: that's almost 19,000 mL. Divide that by 800 mL, and you would need (rounding up, of course) 24 lactating women to replace one cow. Yep, 24. Does that sound reasonable?
4. Finally, let's talk quality control. Let's assume that the taste of the milk is impacted by the subject's diet. I'm pretty sure the cows are fed uniform, strict diets. Who is going to dictate to postpartum women what to eat? Seriously? And frankly, I wouldn't be the first person to stand in their way if they wanted to deviate from their diet. However, I also don't want my Chubby Hubby ice cream compromised by Jolene's curry craving or Maggie's garlic fix.
1. Ben & Jerry's is pretty granola-hippie to begin with. Yes, they get their cow milk from a cooperative creamery. They do not use milk from cows given the recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). I'm sure they seem like a likely candidate to begin milking women to make Cherry Garcia. But PETA, pick on someone who's not doing any good! Both Ben and Jerry are reportedly trying to do what's right for their company, employees and community - the epitome of good corporate citizens.
2. PETA's letter states that cows would have a better life if they weren't forced to get pregnant, give birth and be milked for several years. Wouldn't a woman's life be better, too, if she weren't subjected to what a cow goes through? Save the cows; punish the women. I'm sure you are all now picturing postpartum women on all fours in a barn having automatic milkers hooked up to their very full breasts...now let me ask you, PETA - are they smiling? I think not. I'll admit I believe people rank higher in the hierarchy of life. I know it's unpopular, because many of you have told me it is, but if I have a chance to save my nephew or his dog, I'm saving my nephew. He can get a new dog later. And those of you who would choose the opposite may want to consider re-evaluating what's really important, and consider if you truly understand what a human connection actually is (that's the nicest way I could say that!).
3. Now, consider the math. On average, a woman produces 800 mL of milk daily. Less than one liter in one day. A cow can produce around 5 gallons per day. Let me do the conversion for you: that's almost 19,000 mL. Divide that by 800 mL, and you would need (rounding up, of course) 24 lactating women to replace one cow. Yep, 24. Does that sound reasonable?
4. Finally, let's talk quality control. Let's assume that the taste of the milk is impacted by the subject's diet. I'm pretty sure the cows are fed uniform, strict diets. Who is going to dictate to postpartum women what to eat? Seriously? And frankly, I wouldn't be the first person to stand in their way if they wanted to deviate from their diet. However, I also don't want my Chubby Hubby ice cream compromised by Jolene's curry craving or Maggie's garlic fix.
PETA, I agree that animals should be treated ethically. But don't you think people should be, too?
2 comments:
Love PETA, but no one should mess with my Ben & Jerry's!
An anyway, why wouldn't you just switch to soy milk?
I agree with Angela. I also agree if the choice was there...Cfreaky or the pups, the pups would have to go...and I have had them for 10 years...See how much I adore you?
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