Faces Of Death Page #2

Watching this rooster writhe in pain

around the barnyard,

the woman assured me

the bird had felt nothing.

Since its death is so sudden,

movement is caused by a nervous reflex.

Viewing this whole process,

I began to question my ability

to survive under these same conditions.

If necessity dictated

that I become my own provider,

I think I'd choose

the life of a vegetarian.

But what about people

who don't live on a farm?

Those of us who live

within the womb of a technological society?

Our carnivorous needs

must also be fulfilled.

To meet this enormous demand,

Western culture has developed

the ultimate killing machine

to feed the hungry masses.

It's called the slaughterhouse.

Life in this profession

begins early in the morning.

The death-dealing process

is an all-day affair.

One of the more grotesque slaughtering

techniques is the method of koshering.

Blessed by a rabbi, then slaughtered

by his hand, the animal bleeds to death.

This is said to be

a purifying process,

but as the cow choked on its own blood,

I could only feel pity.

Since the demand

for this meat is limited,

only a small percentage

is killed in this fashion.

The average American consumes

In a typical month, slaughterhouses across

the country will kill nearly 3 million cows

and 385,000 lambs.

Each individual along the assembly line

has his own specialty.

Day after day, they continue to work

in this environment of death.

When the novelty wears off,

the workers inform me

their job becomes a simple routine,

a way to make a living -

nothing more, nothing less.

Do the animals know

they are going to die?

The men who kill them

claim they don't,

but when the machinery begins to rumble

and the conveyor belts start to roll,

sounds that expedite death

are heard by animal and man alike.

My travels have taught me that modern

technology does have one advantage -

as consumers, we're spared the process

and only deal with the finished product.

The Al Haram Restaurant

in the Middle East presented an experience

that I found most unique.

This restaurant is housed within

stone walls hundreds of years old.

From the moment patrons enter these

premises, they are treated like royalty.

The welcoming music

and finger chimes of the belly dancer

mark the beginning

of this most unusual dining adventure.

When the waiter appears carrying wine

and the special dining implements,

it is a sure sign our tourists will soon

begin the ritual which brought them here.

Feeling that the foreigners

were comfortable within his domain,

the waiter signaled

for the house specialty.

Good evening.

Here's to good food and wine.

As the monkey was brought down the hall

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