When I looked at the cow before she was killed. I saw in her eyes the fear that she felt. And how she was calling for help with tears rolling down her eyes.
Have you ever looked into a cow’s eyes? Did you see someone there or did you see a large chunk of beef? Have you ever seen or heard a cow cry for help? Have you ever seen her get killed? I did. And I will never forget that moment. I was nine at that time and the memories are still fresh in my head.
It was a field trip to a place where people seem to have no hearts. If they did, they must have been hard as rocks. As I walked down the alley, the intolerable smell of “rotten” blood filled the air giving my mouth the grim taste of dead flesh. Some of my classmates and I did not want to get in but we did. I wished I never did for it was like a nightmare. The huge door led us to the room where the slaughter of cows was held. Writing this article makes my hair stand on end. But how can people know what is going on if no one will be brave enough to tell?
As I entered into the room crimson blood soaked the floor. My shoes were all bloody. The sight of the cows all lined up caught my attention. I saw in them fear and sadness while waiting for their unjust death to come. At one corner, the slaughtered cows were hanged as if they were clothes to be dried and their blood dripping onto the floor. I was then dragged by my classmate to where the actual killing of cows were done. And there I saw that very sweet, innocent, and fearful cow meeting her death. A man carried the weapon with which she was to be electrocuted. When I looked at the cow before she was killed. I saw in her eyes the fear that she felt. And how she was calling for help with tears rolling down her eyes. For a moment, I couldn’t do anything and there, tears rolled down on my own cheeks. I still remember that some of the butchers laughed at us while we were crying, “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t kill her!” Then she was nailed on her forehead that caused her instant death. One blow was all they needed to take her life. They just continued on and did what they had to do. After that, my classmates and I went to our bus and we left still crying. Still shocked by the experience of just being a watcher and not able to do anything.”
At first I said that I wished that I had not seen that horrible show but then again one peek at it made me question. Why kill this innocent animal? She has been the source of our milk. She is like our mother. She has provided us with her milk that is our main food when we are young. Isn’t that enough? Why do we have to kill her for food? In spite of all that she has done for us, we kill her. Why can’t we respect her the way we respect our mother?
If only you could look deeper into her eyes, you could see that there’s no difference between her eyes and my mother or child’s eyes. There is someone behind those innocent eyes, someone looking back at you. And from those eyes you can see if she feels happy or is suffering.
Let us respect and protect the rights of the cows and all other animals for they are God’s creation, too. Let us try to make them closer to our hearts than closer to our stomach.
