And we call ourselves the superior ones. How can we hope to solve the problems in this world when we show so little compassion for the life of the helpless. How sad this is.

How could you vote No? It's sickening to see them shove as many chickens as they can into one cage like that. People don't know this is going on. More people need to see what is happening in Cali. If I was there, I'd be voting Yes.

I second that. I support Prop 2. Vote Yes!

I am noty a vegetarian, I am a meat lover. But, I am also a caring, animal loving human being. While this video sickens me, I have seen much worse. This is tame compared to other information you can find online. But the message is the same. The meat that we love, is harvested in very ugly ways. I know that. And it sickens me.

While I respect vegetarians, that is something I could not do. I am a cook and a lover of all foods, and I enjoy meat.

But, I do think that if we can send people into space, if we can devote money to create pills that give 80 year old men "wood", if we can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each weekend sponsoring NASCAR, INDY Car races, the NFL, the MLB.....hell, if tabloids can spend $500,000 for a picture of a celeb baby.........then we should EASILY (and much cheaper) find a way to treat the animals we consume with respect and dignity before we slaughter them.

There is no need for cruelty, or inhumane conditions to be a part of the meat industry.

I don;t live in California, but this is an issue that faces people all across the country. The farmers that raise these animals are not heartless beings, they are just trying to earn a living and they are probably doing the best they can with the resources they are given. Does that excuse it? NO!, but if the government got their priorities straight and stopped looking out for the bankers and Wall Street and instead tried turning that energy to someting positive (ie: Helping our farmers)Maybe things would change.

But, to the politicians, we are ALL just cattle, heading to the slaughterhouse. And they are laughing their way to the bank while the farmers fall one by one.

Vote yes if you are in CA.

I wish I had a vote

Dave

The person who commented in favor of animal cruelty is completely misguided and wrong on a number of issues. Not to mention, thoughtless about the animals who suffer in the most horrific conditions you can imagine. I have spent time in those facilities, and I invite you to do the same. But only if you give a damn about beings that suffer the same way we do. And if you're concerned that your eggs might be layed in manure, be informed that eggs are layed out of the same hole a chicken poops from... many times layed on top of the dead bodies of other birds who are crammed into battery cages. I am not trying to deprive you of your precious muscle tissue to eat. I am saying we need to treat animals with an ounce of decency while they are alive. But if you do not care about that one bit, perhaps I'm wasting words on you.

As a vegan, I am aware of the many animal-derived materials in many of the things people use every day, and our aim is to use as little of it as practical and possible. There are cruelty-free shampoos and soaps which use no animal ingredients, vegan shoes, and other clothing items, vegan food, You name it.. products are made to cater to millions of vegans who do not like to exploit animals for any purpose unnecessarily. I also recognize, unfortunately, that there will always be people who don't give a crap-- like you.

Thank you Michelle. I second the request to view from both sides before publicizing certain views. As an animal lover, I pity the poor things. Yet, as one living in this world, I also see how it is also very difficult for those who provide to meet with growing demands while facing less resources.

If there is an issue to be concerned about, please also research on how people in poorer nations are literally being "robbed" of food as more and more people are switching diets into meat. In order to provide the meat, farmers are opting to feed their livestock rather than growing crops for humans. Now, where does the balance lie?

Thank you so much for bringing attention to this issue. The current conditions on factory farms are unacceptable and we have the power to change this!

Ellen,
Not all this farming has meant to be cruel. There are less farmers, less land being farmed and unfortunately today the most profitable crop is homes. Years ago agriculture use to be California's number one industry, not any longer. With less land to be farmed and less famers to feed the American public, farms are reduced to what they are now, especially in our great state of California. Even just 30 years ago southern California was a wealth of livestock farming, avacados and citrus, now you will find fruits, flowers along with dwindling citrus and avacados.
Because of the mass production that is needed in the egg industry, the result is the small cages and yes the lights to simulate the longer summer day. The public wants the egggs and the farmers must provide it the most proficient way they can. It is called supply and demand. Oh, by the way, it is the middle man that makes the huge profit not the farmer. Stop and think about the free range idea, it would be great, IF the farmers had the land they needed to do it properly, but they don't so with all the ecoli and somenila issues that are plaguing the food industry will only get worse. These eggs will be layed in manure, they will be cracked and broken by the hens, which in turn is going to leave a smaller supply going to the stores.
Now on to the farrowing crates that the sows (pigs) are in. The sows do not spend their lives in that crate. They are placed in there when it is time to farrow (have their babies) untill the babies are weaned. This is done to keep the babies alive, to many piglets are lost by the sow laying on them and killing them. So this is a give and take situation in the humane ways of doing things. You protect the babies or leave mom loose to accidently lay on her babies and then gee how is she going to feel when she can't comprehend the loss of her little piglets?
The crates they keep the vealers in I can't truely defend that other then when I was around it so many years ago, they did what they thought kept the calf the healthiest because they so easily become ill.
Now a little information about animal by- products that most of you use on a daily basis. Shampoo, cream rinse, toothpaste, make-up, lotions, medical sutures, marshmallows, guitar strings, shoes, clothes, just to name a few. For some of you who think that you are totally animal by-product free, anti freeze, tires and asphalt are all made with animal by-products. Here is a good one for you, America's favorite pastime, baseball, the baseball is made from sheep by-products inside and out.
PETA people really get under my craw, they go to the county fairs and harras our 4H and FFA children for raising their livestock for human consumption, but yet they raise their animals the way they are pushing for on propistion 2. They can't have it both ways. These kids are learning responsibility, bookkeepiing, running a business, having to be accountable, among so many other oppotunities that 4h and FFA has to offer. It just may be one of these kids that will be feeding you in the future wether you eat meat or you are a vegan, you need a farmer. So please if you want humanly raised animals, go support these kids at your county and state fairs at the auctions, you'll never want to go back to store bought meat again.
I will admit that there are a few bad farmers out there that make a bad name for the good farmers but you will find that across the board in any business, not just farming.
About the increase in prices, yes we will see an increase but I can not predict what that will be. The economy as it stands today has already driven our food prices up, along with the fuel prices. Ethonal has driven up corn prices which in turn has made our grain prices go sky high, well you have seen the result of that in the price of meat at the store.
So please really think twice before you vote and do some research and find out the TRUTH from both sides before making your final decision on Nov. 4th. I'm not telling you how to vote, just look at both sides and look at what the end result will be if the proposition wins or fails.
Thank you for your time in reading this, hopefully with an open mind.

This is absolutely insane. Wouldn't it make more sense to get rid of the "cages" all together and have the animals in open areas (thus free reign). It would be much cheaper than making all the so-called cages these animals are in.

Hi what can we in Florida do, I dont have any extra money to provide but I want to do something this is horrible

Thank you Ellen for alll you do for the animals.Factory farming by big industry with no regaurd what so ever for humane measures is an autrocity. 99.5 of americans would either be sickened by the fact they are eating these animals, or compassionate enough for this to not be an option at all. Monotary gains are all this is about. With the internet, people like you Ellen, and others with a voice and platform, this will stop. Exposure and the likes of Proposition 2, are on the animals side. Back in June of 2008 we even had a fundraiser here in Austin Texas for you guys out in California. We all met at someone's house and listened to the conference call from Clifornia lawmakers. We raised a good over 1000.00 for yall. You rock Ellen. Oh, and by the way it is on my Life List to come out to L.A. and seev a taping of the show. See you one of these days,
Leisa Clark
Austin Texas
P.S. Maybe I cam get Gladys to come along.

I am definitely voting YES on prop 2!!!!! I have been vegan for 3 years now and 2 years vegetarian prior to becoming vegan, and haven't felt or looked healthier.

first of all ellen, congrats on the marriage!!! you and portia are both equally lucky to have found each other.

second, i am a farmer, we raise black angus beef cattle and it sickens me to see video's like this, my husband could not watch. we have very happy cows, they are what you would consider "free-range" as there are about 70 cows and they have 140 acres to roam. 2 acres per cow, not bad considering most humans don't have nearly that much space in thier own back yards.

not all of us are cruel and inhumane, we are just trying to make a living like everyone else.

we also have 3 dogs (2 of which are rescues) and 2 cats. we love all the great things you do to help humans and animals alike, keep up the good work.

Hi Ellen... and friends.

I am also a vegan (strict vegetarian) who has been disgusted for years by how people treat animals as nothing more than pieces in a machine to produce profits-- regardless of how much cruelty and suffering they are forced to endure. It's time that even people who eat animal flesh, and consume other animal-derived products, stand up and at least eliminate the outright cruelty of factory farming. It's inexcusable in the 21st century that we still treat living, feeling beings this way. Thank you for bringing added attention to this important proposition that will make a difference in the suffering of animals. Just as sad are the number of lies and trickery coming out of the industry to try to stop this proposition. Why would anyone be against a prop that reduces suffering? The answer is greed and lack of caring.

Don't be one of these boneheads who don't care about cruelty and suffering. Please vote YES on Proposition 2 in California.

And I invite you to go vegan! I haven't had an illness in 17 years-- must be doing something right. It's better for your health, better for the environment, better for animals, and better for other people around the world-- more of which could be fed with a plant-based diet.

I am confused. If Ellen is an animal lover, why is she the new CoverGirl spokesperson? You cannot be both when Proctor & Gamble practices testing on animals.

Hi Ellen,

I think everyone should vote yes for Prop 2. It's totally inhumane to treat animals this way. We are all God's Creatures and need to be treated with compassion and love. Even if animals are bred to feed us, they deserve to have the best life possible before they must give their lives to us. It's also better for us if they are fed well and well taken care of for health reasons as well. I am a lover of all animals and can't understand people who condone this treatment including dog fighting, killing of racing animals and puppy mills. Animals are there to be loved and cared for and in return they give us companionship and unconditional love. Thanks for bringing this important proposition to my attention.

Factory Farming = Animals as Factories.

This type of animal husbandry is nothing more than meat-growing. Lovely creatures who have emotions and feel pain are treated as flesh machines.

Anyone who eats such mass-market "products" should rethink their decision. I am proud that I have been a strict vegetarian for 25 years.

What about Pennsylvania?

I will vote YES and encourage everyone else to do so too!

o my gosh i almost cried wen i saw this i would like to also know the other end of the prop...
why would people want the other end...
the prop can't just be save the animals from small cages???