A Union County Grand Jury announced today that they found Conklin Dairy Farm owner, Gary Conklin, free of any charges relating to the Mercy For Animals undercover video of his farm. This is a pretty sad comment on our judicial system, those who were members of the jury, as well as the police who supported Mr. Conklin. It is also a sad comment on those who are entrusted to care for animals, veterinarians, who immediately come to the beck and call of the animal industry (their customers) whenever it is under attack.

The lasting effects of this case are still hard to tell. Billy Joe Gregg Jr, who was offered up as a sacrifice, is still facing serious criminal charges, and the industry as a whole is still trying to work out an effective response to undercover investigations (GOOD LUCK!). Gary Conklin, and his fourth generation farm, will continue on as the USDA upgraded his status just after this investigation broke and he is now able to sell his product to not only as cheese but as milk as well. Mr. Conklin feels vilified by the verdict and I am sure that the industry itself will do its upmost to make sure that with all of this spotlight he does not collapse.

The outrage sparked by this video, which spread globally on a scale never seen before, brought cruelty to the eyes of a myriad of people who before had never previously questioned animal agribusiness, or thought of the inherent cruelties involved. I know some disagree, but as an outreach tool, I personally think it is hard to argue with the effectiveness of undercover video. Although I did have some commenters wondering where they could purchase dairy products that were cruelty free (it does not exist!), most got the general picture. These videos chronicle what happens day in and day out on farms across the globe. The ability to control and dominate other species leaves us in an almost free position to treat animals however we like. Using animals as commodities solidifies the opportunity for unending violence and cruelty.

For those who attempted to organize a destruction of property at Conklin’s Dairy Farm, the threat of prosecution under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is still being waved overhead. That trap, if fully triggered, will be the full circle response from the industry; reduce the event to single character, solidify the owner of the farm and his practice, make steps towards complicating and disrupting undercover video, criminalize response from animal rights activists.

It begs the question, what kind of justice is there for animals in a speciesist world?

In lieu of this verdict I would urge all those still effected by this case to do four things: support animal sanctuaries throughout the world, the big and the small; support those currently imprisoned for either speaking out against animal cruelty, or taking it upon themselves to free animals from exploitation; support organizations who carry out undercover investigations; get active in the fight against animal exploitation. The justice system will fails us, and continue to fails us, but we cannot let that be an excuse to stop the protracted struggle for animal rights.

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel