Meat Stinks

a play by

Timothy Triplett

SCENE ONE

SETTING: Back Porch of a Farm House, Just Before Sunset
TIME: Sometime in the Future

(FATHER AND SON ARE SITTING IN CHAIRS ON THE BACK PORCH OF A MODEST FARM HOUSE. THE FATHER IS ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD AND HIS SON IS IN HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT 16 YEARS OLD. THE CHARACTERS HAVE NO UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS, THEY LOOK RATHER ORDINARY)

SON: Dad, is this new ruling mean we are going to have to give up the farm?

FATHER: For now it looks like we will be OK.

SON: My friends say that the Government is going to forbid the sell of meat.

FATHER: Yes, the government has promised to make a decision, sometime in the next few days. I'm sure the decision will change the way we raise our animals, but I doubt that the government will go so far as to outlaw the sell of meat.

SON: How will things change?

FATHER: It looks like the Government will require that we put the animals in larger cages. The Government is also likely to drop its subsidy on animal feed. These changes will make it more difficult to make a living on the farm. However, everyone probably will continue to buy meat, hopefully everyone will still be able to afford meat.

SON: If the cages are bigger, will it be more difficult to fatten the animals?

FATHER: It may take more feed to fatten them. But, the bigger problem is the muscle these animals may develop. People will have to start using more meat tenderizer when cooking. The quality and taste of meat could suffer from additional muscle.

SON: Mom told me the reason for these possible new laws is that people feel sorry for the animals and think that raising them for food is cruel. I think it would be more cruel to give them bigger cages. In our small cages the animals cannot move around but only eat and drink. They never see the world. To let them see the world and then slaughter them would certainly seem more of an injustice.

FATHER: Scientist claim that these animals do not possess the intelligence to enjoy living in this world. However, scientists know that these animals can feel pain, and their theory is that they probably suffer more pain when confined to cages that allows no movement. Thus giving them larger cages will reduce the pain, but the animal is still not capable of enjoying life.

SON: What does the issue of pain have to do with the Government taking away the animal feed subsidy?

FATHER: The subsidy was created because eating meat makes everyone in society healthier and stronger. New research shows that eating meat may not actually be a health benefit.

SON: Some of my friends tell me that our society eats too much meat and that is the reason why an increasing number of people are dying of cancer and heart failure.

FATHER: The government has always tried to subsidize any industry that could show its products improved people's health. In the past the meat industry has been successful in convincing the government that eating meat improves an individual's health. Part of the problem of producing meat is the large start-up costs of establishing an animal farm. The meat industry thus argued for a subsidy that would pay off in producing both a stronger and more intelligent society. The government agreed with the industry studies but felt that a subsidy would be a waste of tax money, because no one would eat animals, even if it were healthier.

SON: Then how did the industry get the subsidy?

FATHER: Clever advertising, yep clever advertising and processing the meat in such a way it does not remind people of the animal. First, the meat industry targeted children. We accomplished this by telling parents that children who ate meat would grow up healthier, live longer and become more intelligent. The second thing the industry did was to process meat into products like hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, that did not resemble the animal. Therefore, people would not associate the eating meat with eating an animal and children would grow up healthier.

SON: But, now these meat products like hot dogs and hamburgers are the same foods I keep hearing about being bad for your health. Do you think these foods are no longer good for us to eat?

FATHER: No, I think that eating meat is not bad for you. Although it is likely that the meat industry did overstate the benefits of eating meat. Certainly the Industry hurt itself by getting caught falsifying data and research results.

SON: You mean the industry lied about the health benefits of eating meat.

FATHER: Not exactly, the industry truly believes in the health benefits of eating meat. Myself believes that eating meat is good for you. However, the industry has struggled in it's attempts at providing scientific proof. Therefore, the industry made a bad decision in altering their research finding to show that meat does improve ones health.

SON: Does those opposed to eating meat have any scientific proof?

FATHER: The vegetarian movement like all movements that want to change the way we live was started by a bunch of lazy college failures. Those types of people do not have access to the money needed to do quality scientific research. However, there now seems to be some puzzling evidence that suggests we should at least research the ideal of eating less meat.

SON: Is this why the schools are offering meatless meals and why some of the kids are starting to tease me and some of my friends?

FATHER: There have been so many studies now showing that those who eat less meat live longer and suffer less in their old age. Until the meat industry can show otherwise, I think we are going to start seeing more and more people stop eating meat.

SON: In class my teacher taught us that an alternative to banning the sell of meat would be to add an additional tax to cover the increased health care cost associated with eating meat. Dad, do you think that would be a better solution than banning meat?

FATHER: That is a plan only a stupid ass would think of. A tax to subsidize the health industry, would lead to another tax to help feed lazy non-working people, then they would heap on another damn tax to give to the environmental organizations. So a tax plan ultimately would do the same damn thing as banning meat, except it would make people like us work our ass off to help those people who do not work for a living.

SON: Why would they add a tax to help feed people who do not work?

FATHER: All these so called brainy type people feel that the amount of grains we use to raise animals would feed more people and thus we could feed more people by not using the grain to feed animals. Let me tell you, once you pass a tax, everyone wants a piece of the money. I am sure someone will make an argument that meat eaters should pay more taxes so the poor can afford to eat.

SON: Yes, I could see someone making that argument. But, Dad aren't you stretching it a bit suggesting that environmental groups could argue for some tax money from the sell of meat?

FATHER: Now the papers are printing articles about how much damage raising animals does to the environment. Environmental groups are already talking about regulating the meat industry. Let me tell you son, regulation is the only word in the dictionary dirtier than taxes. Environmental groups always are looking to tax or regulate somebody whose out there working their ass off trying to make a living.

SON: How could raising animals possibly hurt the environment?

FATHER: (ANGRY) It doesn't, that is the fucking answer to that!

SON: Is something we could do to convince people that what we do not hurt the environment?

FATHER: What we need is one of these damn brainy types to stop wasting their education and come up with a way of reducing the amount of urine and manure produced by these animals. Then maybe we would stop seeing all these articles about animals producing tons of methane, that some say pollutes the water we drink and the air we breathe. It also would help if they could come up with a way of raising these animals on less water. Then I would not have to read about how raising animals is depleting fresh water resources.

SON: I'm scared, it sure sounds like there are an awful lot of people who are becoming opposed to raising animals for food. What are we going to do?

FATHER: Listen Son, right now us animal farmers receive government help through programs that help pay for the cost of feeding the animals. The government has always provided this help because they want to improve societies standard of living. By helping us farmers, we in turn have been providing meat at a reasonable cost. People love eating meat, and therefore have never complained about this government aid to the farmers. Now some people are complaining. Since everyone does not agree that animal farms are good for society the government is likely to eliminate the current financial support they provide us. However, there is no way that they would go so far as to ban the sell of meat. That would anger a lot of people.

SON: My school teacher thinks they may ban the sell of meat.

FATHER: That is because your school teacher is a woman. Women eat much less meat than do men. Women are always worried about their weight and believe that eating less meat will help them lose weight.

SON: I don't think that is it. Sure Women are more concerned with how their weight, but I also think women seem to be more compassionate towards animal. Anyway, in school we are taught about how our government works to try and help improve our society. When we talk, it seems as if the government is evil and trying to deceive the people. Isn't the government suppose to help its people? Do you believe our government is good?

FATHER: The government was always suppose to do good. But, since I can recall they have always managed to fuck things up. If it was not for the damn foreigners, we would not need a fucking government.

SON: But would our government go so far as to send out false reports? That would be lying to the people they are suppose to be serving.

FATHER: The damn government is much too concerned with protecting the rights of women and minorities and have totally forgotten that its primary purpose is that of providing a better world for all people including you and me. The government has grown too big and no longer helps improve the world. But, that is another story, we need to stop talking and finish our work. Otherwise, people will start thinking that we too are nothing but a couple of lazy good for nothing government workers.

(BOTH FATHER AND SON GET UP AND WALK DOWN THE STEPS INTO THE BACKYARD, THEN SON HEADING TOWARD THE BARN, STOPS TO SPEAK)

SON: Dad, didn't mom say she was out of Veal and wants us to bring her a fresh calf.

FATHER: Yes, she sure did. That woman just does not listen to me. She knows those Veal calves bring in good money. I'm not sure we can still afford to waste our calves on meals for ourselves. Especially with the possibility of these new rules.

SON: Didn't you say that the government is likely to make it illegal for us to raise animals in tiny cages? If they do that, we might as well give mother as much as she can put in the freezer this week.

FATHER: I suppose you are right. There ain't much left to do anyway tonight. You go ahead and pick your mom the best little calf we got and do her an additional favor and slice up the animal for her. I'll finish out here.

(SON GOES INTO THE BARN AS FATHER BEGINS TO GATHER THE FEW TOOLS LAYING ON THE GROUND. THE FATHER CARRIES THE TOOLS OVER TO THE PORCH. AS HE CARRIES THE TOOLS UP ONTO THE PORCH, HE HEARS THE SOUND OF A SCREAMING ANIMAL BEING SLAUGHTERED. THE SOUNDS LAST FOR AROUND FIVE SECONDS. AFTER THE SCREAMING STOPS THE FATHER SEEMS SOMEWHAT UPSET. HE NEATLY PLACES THE TOOLS DOWN ONTO THE PORCH AND BEGINS TO SPEAK.)

FATHER: He asks questions, like I asked my father. He is concerned about the morality of killing animals. His friends tease him. Still when he is told, he kills and slaughters the animals without any dispute. I know he does this for the same reasons that I did it before him. Not because he believes it is right, no clearly my son believes the killing is wrong, he does because he loves his family. He knows that his refusal, would mean that his father and grandfather and the entire family would be guilty. I have done what I swore, I would not do, I have raised my son no better than my father raised me. Now, things are even worse. The country is beginning to see the cruelty of our business and one day they may see that my son covered in blood. They will not see the caring and good nature side I have so wrongly failed to nurture.

(FATHER EXISTS INTO THE HOUSE AND IN A FEW SECONDS LATER THE SON COMES OUT OF THE BARN COVERED IN BLOOD, END OF SCENE 1)

SCENE TWO

SETTING: Back Porch of a Farm House, Just Before Sunset
TIME: One Week Later

(FATHER AND SON ARE SITTING IN THE SAME CHAIRS ON THE BACK PORCH OF THEIR MODEST FARM HOUSE)

SON: Damn it dad, it seems as though you know exactly what those government folks are thinking. The decision they passed this week is exactly what you predicted last week.

FATHER: Son, it isn't hard to guess what them government workers are going to do. Hell they are all a bunch of simpletons. If that weren't so, they would get up off their ass get a real job.

SON: But don't most of the men and women making these decisions have college degrees?

FATHER: So fucking what, if you go into college stupid you will come out stupid. The bright one's go into business, the stupid ones become government workers.

SON: Why do you want me to go to college? Is it because you think that I am stupid? I think I'm smarter than a lot of kids my age. I don't want to be a government worker.

FATHER: Oh don't worry about College, when you finish college you probably will have no choice but to be a government worker. Hell by the time you finish, damn government will have destroyed all the good business jobs.

SON: Sort of like these new laws on animal farming.

FATHER: Exactly, except this is the beginning, I knew they would only ban the production of any animals confined to cages too small for the animal to move around. For now that is all they have ruled against. But Son, this is not a victory. Each time they pass a law they will restrict the meat industry further and further. That is until the day they simply make meat production illegal.

SON: But Dad, last week you said that too many people enjoyed eating meat and that the government would never fully ban the sell of meat.

FATHER: For now meat is legal, but in the future I think people who want to continue to eat meat will have to buy meat on the black market and pay incredibly high prices.

SON: Like the people who buy illegal drugs.

FATHER: Exactly.

SON: What is it that now makes you think that the government is going to one day ban the sell of meat?

FATHER: I had hoped that they would ban the production of veal to appease the anti-meat freaks. But, the way they wrote up their decision, it sounds like the government is only delaying their ultimate plan of totally banning the killing of animals.

SON: How So?

FATHER: The government claims that the animals do suffer and feel pain like we do. However, they believe the animals are not intelligent enough to enjoy their existence. Therefore, we need not worry about killing animals for food, however we must not cause unnecessary suffering. They believe that the production of veal causes unnecessary suffering.

SON: When I go to slaughter the veal calves, I sometimes feel that their entire existence is one of suffering. Maybe the government decision is right.

FATHER: Hell, I don't doubt the suffering. Shit all the animals we raise for food suffer. It is not possible to profitably raise animals for food without the animal suffering. The reason the decision makes no sense is they claim that these damn animals feel pain and suffering just like we do.

SON: But we are smarter and better than animals. We know how to enjoy life. Animals would suffer more if not for us raising them for food. I think the ruling makes perfect sense.

FATHER: Sure we may be smarter, but there are a lot of us who clearly cause others to suffer. We do not kill and eat them. If people truly believe animals feel pain the same as we do, then eventually meat production will have to be stopped.

SON: I don't agree, it is not that simple. There were many good arguments in the ruling for continuing the production of meat.

FATHER: The main point though was that they ruled that animals suffer and feel pain, just like we do. The reminder of the ruling was simply an attempt to comfort those people who eat meat. I'm afraid we must start thinking about a future where meat production is illegal.

SON: Why?, The ruling has countless examples of how these animals deserve no sympathy. Except for veal calves, the government argues that they suffer less pain in captivity. It is clearly shown that when free these the animals ruthlessly kill and torture themselves.

FATHER: The argument remains, if animals pain and suffering is equivalent in nature to our feelings, then we cannot continue to slaughter animals. Remember two wrongs do not make a right. Even if animals do suffer when free, we still have no right to cause pain and suffering.

SON: But, years ago these animals ruled the earth. The history of their rule, was of constant violence, torture and intolerance. Their history is one of continual wars and killing of their own kind. I read that during one of their wars over 6 million were killed in gruesome ways, such as gas chambers and buried in giant land fills alive. They were constantly inventing news ways of killing themselves.

FATHER: I know, that is why for so long I have had no problem raising these animals as food for our people. The brains of these animals are somewhat strange. Who would ever believe that these animals spent their greatest efforts in production of guns and bombs that were meant simply to kill there own kind.

SON: Sometimes I wonder whether historians are correct. They say we evolved from these barbaric creatures. Yet, we do not have these desires to kill or do violent acts to another person.

FATHER: Historians may be right. Did you know that there are records showing that these animals like ourselves raised other animals for food? In addition, there are also records showing that some of these animals actually created organizations which opposed the raising of animals for food.

SON: Wow, perhaps we did evolve from these animals.

FATHER: Perhaps we are still evolving. There was a time when they say these animals were once only hunters and gatherers. It was not until they had begun to fully rule the earth that they had learned to farm and grow their own food. Maybe we as descendants are destined to end the long chain killing animals for food.

SON: Dad, it sounds like you starting to agree with the vegetarians. Do you think we should stop raising animals for food? What would we do if we stopped? What would happen to the homo-sapiens?

FATHER: Hell, I have never had a problem with vegetarians, it is those damn animal rights activists that drive me crazy. Jeez, I really don't know what will happen to homo-sapiens if we stopped raising them for meat. However, I have been doing a lot of thinking these past weeks and I have begun to have my doubts as to whether we should continue to farm animals. I think you should certainly go to college and get yourself a job that you perform with your head. You are a smart kid. Too smart to waste your life simply raising animals for food. I suppose I'll continue raising animals until it becomes illegal. At that time the government will surely have to provide us animal farmers with another job or some source of income.

SON: Will the homo-sapiens simply go extinct.

FATHERS: They contain the secret to our roots, I'm sure that we will keep some of them around caged up in zoos, with all the other carnivores. But, we certainly will not risk letting them go free in the wild. They are much too violent an animal for that.

(BOTH FATHER AND SON, GET, UP AND WALK DOWN THE STEPS INTO THE BACKYARD, THEN SON HEADING TOWARD THE BARN, STOPS TO SPEAK)

SON: Dad, Mom wants me to go ahead and slaughter the remaining veal and put it in our cellar freezer. She thinks I ought to do it tonight, since it no longer legal to sell.

FATHER: Yes, that sounds like a good ideal to me.

(SON GOES INTO THE BARN AS THE FATHER BEGINS TO CLEAN UP THE YARD. AS IS THE END OF THE FIRST SCENE THE FATHER BEGINS TO CARRY BACK TO THE PORCH SOME TOOLS HE PICKED UP OFF THE GROUND. AS THE FIRST SCENE ENDED HE BEGINS TO HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE ANIMALS SCREAMING. UNLIKE THE FIRST SCENE, THE SCREAMING IS LESS VIOLENT. IT SOUNDS AS IF ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE BARN ARE MAKING A STRANGE SOUND. THE SOUND OF SHOCK AND DISGUST. THE FATHER LOOKS CONFUSED THEN STARTS TO HEAD TOWARDS THE BARN. JUST BEFORE HE REACHED THE BARN THE SON EMERGES SHOWING NO NOTICEABLE SIGNS OF HAVING BUTCHERED ANY ANIMALS.)

SON: Dad I'm sorry, I let the veal calves out of their cages. I could not kill them tonight.

FATHER: I suppose you have done right. If we agree that we should no longer raise veal, then we have no right to slaughter the few veal calves we have remaining. But, you should not be ashamed of having slaughtered veal calves in the past. In order to improve oneself, the past must be forgiven. Those who cannot forgive their past, are often stuck defending something they know is wrong.

SON: What will we tell Mom.

FATHER: The truth, if she wants veal, she can slaughter the creature herself.

(FATHER AND SON BOTH WALK BACK TOWARDS THE HOUSE, AS THEY HEAD TOWARDS THE HOUSE IT IS NOW NOTICEABLE TO THE AUDIENCE THAT THE SON HAS A LONG TAIL - SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY IS NOT PART OF THE HUMAN ANATOMY. THE TAIL HANGS HALFWAY TO THE GROUND)

FATHER: Son, if you do not want to get your mother angry tonight, better tuck in your tail before going in. It is hanging out.

(SON TUCKS IN HIS TAIL AS BOTH FATHER AND SON EXIT INTO THE HOUSE)

SCENE THREE

SETTING: Back Porch of a Farm House, Just Before Sunset
TIME: Six years later

(FATHER IS SITTING WITH HIS WIFE IN THE SAME CHAIRS ON THE BACK PORCH OF THE MODEST FARM HOUSE, VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED IN THE SCENERY)

WIFE: I can't believe our son is about to graduate from college. It seemed like he just started college yesterday.

FATHER: Yeah, I sure do not know what it is they taught him, but he was a smart kid before he went to college. Who the hell knows what weird ideals they put into our kids head. I just know he doesn't seem to act like a Son of mine any more.

WIFE: You were the one that thought it was best that he go to college. You didn't think there was a future for him on the farm.

FATHER: Well, I was wrong. I thought things had changed. I thought that a college education was no longer a waste of time. I had hoped that the privatization of the Universities had improved the system. But, that isn't going to happen until we can get rid of those damn lousy liberal professors.

WIFE: Things were becoming quite liberal six years ago. It's good to see people come to there senses and kick those liberals out of power.

FATHER: Boy, this last election was an amazing turn around. The conservatives really took control of this country.

WIFE: And just in time, I mean even you were talking like a liberal six years ago. I remember you were even considering becoming a vegetarian.

FATHER: Hell don't remind me. The damn liberals were not only destroying the government they almost destroyed my life here on the farm.

WIFE: Do you think this enormous increase in the demand for meat products is related to conservatives taken control of the government?

FATHER: Of course, it was the liberals who were making everyone feel so guilty about eating meat. They practically destroyed the meat industry.

WIFE: People are now eating more meat then ever, hell I think they are eating more meat today than they did in the days when human meat cost practically nothing.

FATHER: That is because the conservatives have put a stop to the liberal media. People are no longer getting bombarded with negative research studies. The government now allows people the freedom to make there own choices and clearly they have chosen to eat meat.

WIFE: If people would stop spending so much effort on changing the way we live, then perhaps they would realize how great life is now that the conservatives have taken control of the government.

FATHER: Things have never been better for us. Except we now have a son filled with crazy ideals

WIFE: Maybe now that he has graduated he will become more practical. Kids always are liberal while in college. Then when they need to earn some money and raise a family they become much more conservative.

FATHER: Except those damn city dwellers. They do not want to work and they all have more children then they can afford to raise. At least the conservatives are going to get rid of that stupid food aide program. I never believed that you should feed people who are simply too lazy to work.

WIFE: If they get rid of the food aide program, the government will stop buying animals from us. Won't this hurt are business?

FATHER: Not at all. The conservatives plan to protect the animal farmers, by buying the same number of humans from us, as they bought during the food aide program.

WIFE: What are they going to do with all those extra humans?

FATHER: The government does not want us to slaughter the humans they buy. They are going to purchase them to give to private companies that are conducting medical research.

WIFE: I thought that performing medical research on humans was outlawed years ago. Didn't they claim that the research was tremendously cruel with no proven scientific gain.

FATHER: Well the courts recently ruled that the current elimination of most government regulations of the private sector, means that animal research would be legal if conducted in the private sector. So that is why the government is giving the animals to the private sector and not conducting its own research. Certainly there will be some scientific gain now that the private sector is doing the research.

WIFE: Things in the government sound so much better. I actually won't mind paying my taxes this year. However, with the new tax cuts how is the government planning to purchase humans for medical research.

FATHER: First of all, the government is not paying anything additional. They were already buying the animals as food aide.

WIFE: But taxes are going down.

FATHER: I know, let me finish (ANGRY AT BEING INTERRUPTED). The government's budget office has listed three ways in which they will reduce government spending. First, the money being sent to help the cities will be reduced, since now city people will have to work for a living and they no longer will find it financially better to continue having babies. If they don't work they will simply die of. Second, the conservatives used the liberals own research that taught us that as people eat more humans they will die younger. Therefore, we will not need as much money to support older people who no longer can work. Finally, the government will save lots of money by stopping research and development and regulating the private sector.

WIFE: Boy, you are certainly in a good mood. Maybe now is the time I should tell you about the letter I received from our son.

FATHER: What letter?

WIFE: I did not want you to get all upset. Your son sent us a letter just a few days ago. I was waiting for a good time to tell you about it.

FATHER: Well what is it. I know he has become a vegetarian. What's worse, he is a damn liberal. What possibly could he now say that would make me more disappointed with how he has turned out.

WIFE: Well, for starters, he says he is not coming home ever again.

FATHER: How is going to make money, nobody but me would be foolish enough to employ a liberal.

WIFE: I think he is serious, he frightens me. He says he now understands how our civilization evolved from humans. He says he understands the human anger. Rather than evolving, our son feels that we are becoming more like humans.

FATHER: So he is a little pumped up on some foolish theories they teach at the college.

WIFE: He says he now feels the human anger in himself. He says he could even imagine killing conservatives.

FATHER: (VERY ANGRY) What the hell kind of talk is that. How could he disgrace his family by saying such things.

WIFE: It is scary, he sounds like he means what he says. I think he may be capable of killing his own. I read that there has been two reports of possible murders this year. There had not been a murder or killing in over twenty years. This year already two have occurred. Maybe society is going crazy. Maybe society has caused our son to become crazy. (CRYING) It is not right, I want our son back. I want him the way he was.

FATHER: (NO LONGER ANGRY, WITH MUCH MORE COMPASSION) We shouldn't get all worked up about this. The boy is still young. A few years ago, just before he went to college, I think I even put some of these strange thoughts into his mind. Yes, I had my doubts at one time. I even considered giving up animal farming.

WIFE: What changed your mind.

FATHER: Veal of course, it was veal that I first thought of giving up. Then I thought of how much pleasure I get from eating veal. Hell, then I knew I must be crazy. I knew my mind was becoming warped if I was actually considering giving up eating veal. That is when I knew I had to fight back against the liberals.

WIFE: Why, that is the solution.

FATHER: What do you mean solution?

WIFE: Our son, we should choose our best baby human. One with lots of baby fat. We could slaughter it tonight. Freeze it fresh and send it as graduation gift to our son. Surely he will accept our graduation gift. He is still a lot like you. He will not be able to resist trying veal one last time. Once he tastes the veal we send him, I know he will forget all these silly animal rights stuff he has learned.

FATHER: You really think it will work?

WIFE: Look I know you two men, and I have seen both of you start to become compassionate. Believe me, men are rarely capable of being compassionate, and even if they do become compassionate, it is usually only for a very short period of time.

FATHER: (STANDING UP AND GESTURING TOWARD THE BARN) Well then lead the way.