[lurker]

Back to PETA and thought a Baxter Black short was in order.

ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE

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Calving season is a good time of the year to invite those assorted anti's and detractors' to visit your "Factory Farming" operation. Suit up the cynics in the requisite factory farm uniform, i.e. insulated coveralls, mud boots, scarf, work gloves and the Elmer Fudd cap. Make sure they get to help stack bales on the wagon. That way they will be warm enough to ride on the back out to the field.

Pause after you've scattered the hay, long enough for them to look back at the cows. Sometimes it looks like a painting. It can actually give the viewer a peaceful feeling.

Shut off the engine. Let them soak up the clatter and the roar of contented cows. The screeching and screaming of sunlight hitting the snow. The racket and banging of no cars, no phones, no faxes, no television.

Then back to the barn to check the new mothers. Let the skeptics help as you load the day-old babies onto the little trailer and carry'em to the turn-out pasture. They can watch from the tractor as the new mamas follow protectively. Your guests might get an inkling of the importance of the cow-calf relationship. It's not exactly like collating a 10 page PETA report on "How to spot animal abuse."

Mount the visitors a' horseback, so they can take part in the mothering-up check. Let them sit with you, patiently watching and occasionally helping as you make sure each new baby has found his own mother. It may be difficult for them to understand the importance of this bonding if they still think of animals like pieces of paper, inanimate units to be stapled together and filed.

After lunch at the Drab Factory Workers' Cafeteria where the family sits at a table of simple bounty basking in aromas not found around the office microwave, the visitors can join you to check the heavy bunch.

They can watch your concern as you work a cow that needs assistance, into the chute. Invite them to pull on the chains as you keep a hand in the birth canal to guide.

Stand behind them and help as the new life plops out into their lap.

Let them share those first anxious moments as the calf lies still in the palms of their hands. Then the calf twitches, he snorts, he blinks, he gives us that sign that tells us everything is okay. That we did good. He reassures our soul that God was right when he put these animals in our care.

If we were able to allow each of these galvanized critics to experience this little miracle that is part of our daily lives, it could change how they look at life. Maybe even change how they look at us.

But that may be expecting too much. They have been programmed and shrinkwrapped, and it's hard to feel a baby calf's heartbeat through an animal rights solicitation envelope.