Earthlings

[jackie_a1]

Yes Nellbell but people can be products of their environments and not necessarily their genes too.

Eating meat isn't a problem not at all. Animals are carnivores correct but do animals farm their prey and torture them? Or do they exploit them for money? Nope. Animals kill to survive humans kill for enjoyment.

Did you watch the part on Kosher meat? Everything that was happening was against the law but people don't care its sickening.

[Vehs]

my brother has warned me about this doco

don't think I'll watch it today....

[Freshstart16]

I haven't watched the film yet, I did watch the trailer and was very horrified at what i saw, sadly it doesn't surprise me. I have seen a few videos of similar sicking stuff in my life, I noticed they have that fur farm(if thats what you call it - more like torture house) video, I have seen that before and ohh I just cannot express the horror, I just want to grab those people and shake the life out of them. Or something like that, whatever it took to make them stop.

How could you call yourself a human if you could do something like that to a living thing and not break down and cry and scream. They do it like its nothing, like the life they are holding in there hands and then take it away like doesn't matter.

In some cultures I know that people are raised like that so they have never known any different but how could you not feel something looking into the eyes of an animal that is in pain and is suffering - HOW...could you just rip off its fur and listen to it scream and not hate yourself every single day. I cant understand how people can do this and still look at themselves in the mirror?

[Leithy]

One person might not be able to change a huge problem, but if you can help one or two in a horrible situation, then it makes the world a better place. For example, you've got dogs- you're saving them from a life in pounds, on the streets, from a horrible situation- then hell, you're doing alright. That's the way I chose to look at it, otherwise my head would implode from all the horrible stuff going on in the world and thinking how on earth can I help to stop this.

[B-Q]

I bought Earthlings about a year ago and watch it whenever I need some motivation or a reminder for why I do the things I do.

I don't have a problem with meat or meat consumption in general, I just hate the system its created where we think we can have whatever we want and don't have to think about what has to happen for us to get it. Thats why I don't eat it.

I think I knew about most of the stuff on the video already but the stuff about Indian leather was a shock, I avoid it like the plague now. I can understand using the entire animal but what they go through is uncomprehensible.

I don't think the entire world will go vegetarian but I think we need to be empowered as a society by having the knowledge that THIS IS HAPPENING. Then maybe governments will look at making sure there is a better quality of life/death even if it means meat costs more.

I just can't understand how people can violate the most basic animal welfare laws because they are food animals. Does not compute.

Edited May 7, 2010 by busterlove

[stephcola]

On the same topic, here is another documentary I would strongly recommend.

Food Inc.

It is much less graphic & intense then Earthlings - but still really powerful & informative. It focuses more on agriculture & outrageous farming methods in the USA but is still defintely relevent.

Here is a link for the trailer! --

[Robbi]

I have never been able to watch Earthlings as the images would haunt me everytime I close my eyes. I am ashamed to be a human when I know the cruelty my kind inflicts on all the other life forms that have the misfortune to share earth with us.

The trouble is ignorance is bliss for the majority of people, they think meat comes pre-packed and grows on supermarket shelves. I try to only eat what I could kill to survive, it sounds strange but living on a farm I have had to kill chickens, fish and the occaisional injured sheep so I am able to eat them, however no beef as I have bottled raised 2 calves (and still have them over 10 years later)and treated them like my own children. To eat beef would be unthinkable.

[Lhok]

At the risk of being flamed..

I just finished watching Earthlings and yes I was appalled by the behaviour displayed by those people in the film how they were treating animals. However the whole film just felt like another campaign method for PETA. The doco was supposedly to be about societies treatment of animals yet all I saw was how appalling we can be towards animals and nothing about how animals are loved and respected and are a important part of our society.

--Lhok

Edited May 7, 2010 by Lhok

[furballs]

One person might not be able to change a huge problem, but if you can help one or two in a horrible situation, then it makes the world a better place. For example, you've got dogs- you're saving them from a life in pounds, on the streets, from a horrible situation- then hell, you're doing alright. That's the way I chose to look at it, otherwise my head would implode from all the horrible stuff going on in the world and thinking how on earth can I help to stop this.

I totally agree with you Leithy

[Mim]

I couldn't even get through the trailer. Too upsetting for me.

[furballs]

At the risk of being flamed..

I just finished watching Earthlings and yes I was appalled by the behaviour displayed by those people in the film how they were treating animals. However the whole film just felt like another campaign method for PETA. The doco was supposedly to be about societies treatment of animals yet all I saw was how appalling we can be towards animals and nothing about how animals are loved and respected and are a important part of our society.

--Lhok

I'm feeling the same way Lhok, this documentary is shocking and disgusting but are all animals treated this way? From what I've read PETA wants to turn all humans into vegetarians and put a complete stop to eating meat. I don't see a problem with us eating meat as long as the animals are treated with respect in life and killed humanely. Surely not all food animals are treated badly? And as for the way dogs are treated, I saw the bit where the dog was thrown into the garbage truck, and I am sure that if that happened here many people would be stopping to save that dog. I'm still ashamed to be human though.

[jackie_a1]

Surely not all food animals are treated badly? And as for the way dogs are treated, I saw the bit where the dog was thrown into the garbage truck, and I am sure that if that happened here many people would be stopping to save that dog. I'm still ashamed to be human though.

I think we like to think animal abuse like the dog in the dumpster only happens in third world countries or in the middle East, but it doesn't. It happens everywhere, I remember in Sydney maybe last year the year before a kitten was set a light and thrown into a mail box and apparently a few people were involved. It happens here in the Western countries too. Just the other month a cockatoo in my area was nailed to a sign post with drivers driving past the bird and no one stopping. Abuse happens everywhere.

[Lhok]

Surely not all food animals are treated badly? And as for the way dogs are treated, I saw the bit where the dog was thrown into the garbage truck, and I am sure that if that happened here many people would be stopping to save that dog. I'm still ashamed to be human though.

I think we like to think animal abuse like the dog in the dumpster only happens in third world countries or in the middle East, but it doesn't. It happens everywhere, I remember in Sydney maybe last year the year before a kitten was set a light and thrown into a mail box and apparently a few people were involved. It happens here in the Western countries too. Just the other month a cockatoo in my area was nailed to a sign post with drivers driving past the bird and no one stopping. Abuse happens everywhere.

Earthlings paints a very narrow picture of society and how we interact with animals. If we did what earthlings would like us to do it would be to stop eating meat, stop wearing anything that comes from an animal, no animal testing in science and no pets. Is this a society you would want to live in?

--Lhok

[rubiton]

What country was it filmed in?

[Lhok]

it was filmed from a bunch of countries, but mostly (from what I can tell) the USA a lot of the imagery comes from PETA and HSUS (again my own conclusions) as stated in the credits at the end.

--Lhok

[Loving my Oldies]

Earthlings paints a very narrow picture of society and how we interact with animals. If we did what earthlings would like us to do it would be to stop eating meat, stop wearing anything that comes from an animal, no animal testing in science and no pets. Is this a society you would want to live in?

--Lhok

Yes, I certainly would love to live in a society like that. I would be happy wearing something that comes from an animal providing the animal hasn't been killed to provide it.

ETA: I didn't see the bit about "no pets". My "pets" are my family and companions. They are as much to me as any living creature.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Mother Moocher

[stephcola]

Earthlings paints a very narrow picture of society and how we interact with animals. If we did what earthlings would like us to do it would be to stop eating meat, stop wearing anything that comes from an animal, no animal testing in science and no pets. Is this a society you would want to live in?

--Lhok

I don't think there was a "no pets" message. I think it was aimed more at people who are likely to buy a BYB puppy from a pet store then people who post/read a pure bred dog community forum.

No one in my household (minus the dogs) eats meat, wears anything from an animal, or supports animal testing - I don't think it's such an absurd concept.

[rubiton]

Well there is a difference between US and Australia so cant understand why its assumed its all the same.

They eat cats and dogs in various places in Asia and its just their culture - if they can catch it they eat it these people also live in mud huts and cows are nearly of equivalent worth as wives so is there an issue with those countries?

[BJean]

Earthlings paints a very narrow picture of society and how we interact with animals. If we did what earthlings would like us to do it would be to stop eating meat, stop wearing anything that comes from an animal, no animal testing in science and no pets. Is this a society you would want to live in?

--Lhok

I don't think there was a "no pets" message. I think it was aimed more at people who are likely to buy a BYB puppy from a pet store then people who post/read a pure bred dog community forum.

No one in my household (minus the dogs) eats meat, wears anything from an animal, or supports animal testing - I don't think it's such an absurd concept.

If we apply the concept, and cease meat production

will you then go out and kill an animal to provide meat for your dog?