Downed Cows Unfit for Food

Animal advocates, food-safety supporters—and just about every other American—had good reason to celebrate on Saturday, as President Barack Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack officially banned the practice of slaughtering downed cattle for human consumption. This measure put an end to the abuse of downed cows and marked the start of a safer food supply. With 15 of the 19 reported US cases of mad cow disease related to downed animal consumption, it is a wonder why such a simple step took so long. We don’t mean to point fingers or beat around the Bush, but figure you can probably make a good guess. While it’d be great to see Obama stop factory farming and cattle slaughtering altogether, it certainly seems like he’s off to a promising start. And it’s always nice when carnivores and herbivores can find something to agree upon!