A Kean University psychology student who took a class taught by former Sen. Raymond Lesniak is urging N.J. residents to support a bill that would ban gestation and veal crates.

In times of harsh weather throughout the year, people flood social media to speak out against those who subject their dogs to unbearable temperatures.

While most people may not have had emotional connections with pigs and calves the way that they have had with dogs, but who are we to look at an innocent living creature and say that its fundamental living conditions are less worthy than another’s?

Calves that are less than a year old, mother pigs and their suckling piglets are subjected to incredibly inhumane conditions in veal and gestation crates.

We can do our part by joining our fellow 13 states in the battle against abuse that these calves, baby pigs and their mothers suffer, simply by supporting bill A1970/S1298 to get gestation and veal crates banned in New Jersey.

As The Garden State, many may not think of New Jersey as a meat-producing state, but in February 2022 alone, we commercially produced 3.4 million pounds of red meat, including the 1,400 calves and 6,800 hogs slaughtered.

Veal crates are the most widely used method by which most veal is produced and they result in baby calves being so confined that they cannot turn around or stand up—all for the sake of “more tender” meat. According to Animal Welfare in Animal Agriculture by Wilson G. Pond, Fuller W. Bazer, and Bernard E. Rollin, 90% of pigs in the U.S. are kept indoors but the number of crate usage have not been formally reported.

Pigs have been found to be very intelligent, social and emotional animals. They even develop very strong bonds with their offspring and have the capacity to experience depression. Female pigs endure being in a near constant state of pregnancy, in between having their babies repeatedly taken away from them, all the while being trapped in confinement so unjustifiably cruel that movement is nearly impossible.

Bill A1970/S1298 still allows for pigs to be isolated briefly for their safety during breeding and nursing as they are more easily agitated during these times, as well as they are more vulnerable to harm.

We must transition our farms to alternative housing systems for veal calves, nursing sows, and their babies. The alternative housing systems include higher welfare indoor systems, free-range accommodations, or breeding and rearing these animals outdoors.

As banning these crates has been proposed before 2014 in New Jersey, farms have had plenty of time to begin transitioning gradually, which would allow them to avoid abruptly mandated expenses. Furthermore, in 2020, 73% of US citizens were more likely to buy meat not produced using gestation crates and 65% were willing to pay more for this meat. With the growing support of over 250,000 New Jersey Citizens, we must turn to our New Jersey legislators to understand the resistance that this bill has faced.

Senator Raymond Lesniak has tried to get veal and gestation crates banned in New Jersey, which seemed within reach until Chris Christie chose to better his chances at winning the Republican presidential election in Iowa, the pork capital of the United States and vetoed the legislation (Christie only got 2% of the vote in the Iowa election. Karma).

Unfortunately, some of our legislators are following in the footsteps of Chris Christie and in fear of losing the support of the agricultural industry, they are opposed to what is morally right. As Michael Gambon said while playing Albus Dumbledore in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,”Dark and difficult times lie ahead.” Soon, we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.” I ask our legislators to assess how Chris Christie’s selfishness tarnished his reputation and legacy. Will you choose to do what is right and support bills A1970 and S1298, or will you continue to oppose them and allow this cruelty to pigs and calves to continue.

The Ban the Crates Coalition is urging New Jersey citizens to spread the word and contact their legislators. Demonstrations will be scheduled to raise awareness of the cruelty of veal and gestation crates. For more information on how to take action, please visit lesniakinstitute.org/banthecrates/. We have come so close to achieving this goal in the past and your support could be the difference that these calves and mother pigs need.

Skylar Zabit is a psychology student at Kean University who wrote this piece while attending a Social Movements class taught by former state Senator Raymond Lesniak.

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