It is not length of life, but depth of life.Ralph Waldo Emerson

August 2014

  • A Coming of Age

    Nestle, one of the world’s largest food manufacturers, has pledged new standards for animal welfare, standards which are to be observed by its thousands of suppliers worldwide. The policy can be traced to a hidden camera operated by Mercy For Animals filming some dairy cows in Wisconsin being abused by one of Nestle’s suppliers. As a result four employees were charged with animal cruelty and the episode eventually led to Nestle’s announcement. The new standards will force the army of suppliers to provide more space for farm animals, phase out practices such as dehorning cattle or castrating animals without pain killers and keeping egg-laying hens in cramped cages. Nestle says its move stems from its awareness that its consumers care about animal welfare and has no plans for an increase in retail prices. In fact, it said, it plans to absorb the initial costs of the policy and has retained an organization to make spot audits.

    Animal welfare groups hope that given that Nestle is the world’s largest food and beverage company, the policy will reverberate throughout the food industry and force smaller firms to follow the same standards. Regardless, it seems a coming of age for animal rights.

  • On Re-Homing

    Re-Homing refers to the practice of adoptive parents who can no longer handle or want the children they adopted and advertise online for whoever will take them. Following an article a few months ago after a lengthy investigation by Reuters journalist Megan Twohey, child care advocates have asked the congress to do more to protect those children. Most are foreign born and have emotional or behavioral problems. Adoption agencies are not geared to handle post adoption problem leaving parents stranded as to what to do. They have gone online and Twohey found that at least one child a week is offered for adoption to whatever stranger is willing. In one instance she discovered the custody of a 10 year old boy had been transferred to a known pedophile—now in prison. As it stands the situation is an invitation to abusers, porn makers, traffickers and neither does it address the responsibility of adoptive parents who give their children to people they don’t know just because they say they would not mind having a problem child. Sen. Kay Hagan (Dem-N.C.) chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families is looking into possible action or legislation. Let’s hope this is an issue where Congress can rise above its gridlock and partisanship. Meanwhile it becomes an example of positively using the powers of government to mitigate the lower aspects of human nature.

  • A Pet Called Paro

    Some seniors are isolated with no visitors and with social contacts usually limited to nursing homes’ staff. Why not then have them be comforted by a robot disguised as a pet, in this case a furry animal called Paro? Some have Alzheimers’ and find it easy to relate to a pet, robot or not. The pet robot idea has also been tried with some children with autism and shown to be successful. To make their case, advocates ask, “Isn’t it better isolated people relate to a robot rather than stare at walls or television for hours?” Perhaps. Yet, I recall sitting on a bench at the beach near a group of seniors discussing what turned out to be soap opera characters as if they were members of their own families. And at the time I remember thinking, how sad. After reading about robots, I now question whether treating soap opera characters as family may not have advantages I hadn’t previously acknowledged. I grant there are instances such as those with some patients with Alzheimer’s or autism where using robots is clever and appropriate. But I am concerned that using robots with seniors in nursing homes may become the easy way out and keep us from looking at other solutions. For example, could some young people be given opportunities to volunteer? What about other seniors looking for meaningful activities. It takes work to recruit such people and even more to motivate them. But ultimately wouldn’t it build a better society?

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