The more people become removed from the "cycle of life", which includes how animals are raised, and killed, for our human consumption, the more they are swayed by PETA's fringe opinions (I'm not saying all of their opinions are fringe).
If you want to turn vegetarian, good for you. The planet would be better off if more of us chose that route. But if you're shocked that pigs are castrated in such a fashion (and imo it is not inhumane, even given the fact that pigs aren't human....), or that animals are marked for slaughter, or that tails are docked, or any of the other somewhat common procedures done (or used to be done) on farms, then you haven't taken the time to learn about the food production process (through apathy or ignorance - it's just so much easier to eat the Whopper without thinking about the animal behind it). Then fringe groups like PETA make some claims (some legitimate, some not) and the fervor is aroused.
My approach comes from that of a person on a small farm. We didn't anesthetize pigs before castration - nobody did. Frankly, it's stupid. It takes time and money. Believe it or not, a splash of iodine (or whatever it was) kept infection at bay and the pig was walking around in a matter of seconds. So what kind of anesthetic are you going to use here? A topical isn't enough. Are you going to put the pig under while performing this necessary procedure? So much "city boy" ignorance, all being provoked by the likes of PETA.
We should not abuse animals, and I'm not in favor of the factory farms where pigs, cows, and chickens are crammed into tight, unsanitary cages and pens. We should be aware of our food, and the animals that die to feed us. But, to me, this means we seek out meat that hasn't been filled with antibiotics (to the extent possible), and meat that hasn't existed in a prior life being jammed in with other animals.
PETA's problem, and really the problem is people lacking an awareness of livestock "reality", imo, is when people get upset over a lack of anesthetics for castration or painting an identifier (as if "kill" makes the act of slaughter any worse than, say, the letter "k") on animals next on the hit list.
There have been many books and articles discussing this topic, but cheap food has resulted in us taking food for granted. We waste too much. We eat too much. We don't give one jot or tittle of thought to the animal that gave his life so we could eat him. Some cultures focus on this and it's a good idea. For one thing, it keeps us grounded, so to speak, and connects us with our environment.
But I did get a chuckle from the "if castration can't be done in a humane way it shouldn't be done at all". Yeah, I'm sure you'll like the taste of those pork chops. And paying higher prices.
