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You know those live chicken places in Chinatown? Imagine if they also stocked goats and sheep

The Everett City Council is considering a proposal for a halal slaughterhouse on Revere Beach Parkway that would let customers pick out an animal (chicken, goat or sheep) that would then be slaughtered and packaged up for them. There's opposition.

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If they are a legitimate business, and everything is in order, they should be allowed to proceed with their business plans at that location.

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They need permission, first of all. Your argument is entirely subjective. Not all kinds of businesses are good for all kinds of areas. Not really taking a position on this particular situation, but there are valid arguments for both sides.

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Walmart has been around forever and is a legitimate business but some people still fight to keep them out of their towns

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Legitimate? maybe, but they did put the cart before the horse, about $50K worth it sounds.
What else might surprise them, needing to adhere to health codes?
I would associate legitimate with established and perhaps they want to grow in or to Everett, but I didn't read that.
I'm surprised the opposition didn't throw the retail traffic angle into the fray too.

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This has to be the biggest setback for Everett if this passes! Everett residents do not need to be subjected to the stench of this pit! I hope for the longtime residents of Everett this does not pass!

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Power plant, LNG Terminal, Scrap Yard, Oil Tank Farm, Roach Coach supply facility (I've been in it, never, ever, ever eat anything that wasn't already pre-packaged from a roach coach), Poor Person Money Vacuum (Casino) coming, 4,678 auto body shops, wood chip storage facility, 800 degree open pits for galvanizing metal, and the glory that is Revere Beach Boulevard.

Yup, Everett will fall into the abyss if there is a small food processing facility located in a commercial area of the city.

It is funny how you say longtime residents. Your language is filled with hatred for the Bosnians and Moroccans that have made Everett their home over the past 25 years.

If this was out in Concord the slaughterhouse would be called Farm To Table. Get over yourself and let this through.

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I seriously doubt the "halal" animals had the same treatment than the free range, cage-free, miniature constricting stall-free goats and sheep. Sorry. You're not changing my mind.

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Rather than speculate in ignorance, read what the requirements are for yourself.

But, hey, lazy bigotry is so much easier than googling it!

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Clearly you don't get it if you think the animals are halal. It's actually the process by which animals are slaughtered and the meat is processed. Primarily they are blessed before slaughter.

You know, how in many Christian homes a blessing is said before one eats the food on the table? Except in this case, the animal is prayed over before sacrificing itself for them/us. It's actually a cool thought - and I think in line with many religions and other schools of thought. Surely you can appreciate that?

You can find basics here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal

You're welcome.

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If this was out in Concord the slaughterhouse would be called Farm To Table. Get over yourself and let this through

SO SO SO SO TRUE

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"Rumi's Ruminants" - A Near East pastoral butcherie experience.

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Absolutely not. There would be a huge debate about this unless it was an actual farm where they do have some.

Basically you are saying because they have less financial resources and already have less desirable establishments they shouldn't get to have any discourse on this.

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So because they have less desirable establishments there now, they should just step aside and let more in?

Sounds like you don't take their concerns seriously.

Also, you are very poorly informed on this if you think the wealthier towns you mentioned would be happy to have these kinds of establishments without a big debate.

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City kid needs to get out more. Sheesh.

But, hey, I tell you what: why don't you start a campaign to oust that school superintendent who has ordered things for his own home on the school budget and gutted the special needs fund for homecoming?

Ah, naw, that GOOD EVERETT PRIDE!

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First off, I'm not going to argue the point of animal cruelty here because I hate to break it to you. The meat you buy at the supermarket comes from somewhere, and it doesn't always come in on a Styrofoam plate wrapped in plastic wrap. It's gotta get killed somewhere. If you're going to argue this point with me, please make sure you argue against any supermarket or any store that sells fresh meat. It's the same.

This area of 16 is a industrial area. Literally 100 feet from RBP is scrap yards and industrial area. It's not near homes at all. The smell point is moot, because 16 is lined with fast food places that all stink to high heaven. And providing this place runs a clean facility, the smell should be nearly non-existent.

There's already places around the city that do this anyways, so it's not like a slaughter house in an urban area is a new concept. Several places in the city (or immediate suburbs) have similar places. Inman square being one.. "Fresh Chickens Live Killed" (Mayflower Poultry). Many smaller meat markets like McKinnons in Davis may not do the kill there, but they do cut up alot of meat on premise (and yeah the rear of the store stinks but JUST the rear of the store not outside or nearby). Much like any supermarket where cuts are done on site. And I'm sure if I actually spent two minutes in google I could find more places that do.

This place is going to specialize in Halal meat, which is meat that adheres to Islamic law. Google tells me that there's some controversy around it due to pre-stunning is not allowed, so the animal suffers a bit more. But if you're going to argue that as your point against this, what about all meat? I mean, ever look at a Tyson Foods Chicken farm? Looks pretty inhumane to me. You could argue this point about any meat processing facility, Halal or not.

This place is going to serve the Islamic Community. And I can't help to wonder.. are people against the slaughterhouse OR is this a case of Islamophobia because as I stated above, slaughter houses already exist around the city and the immediate 'burbs.

IMHO this is a case of much ado about nothing.

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I do have concerns about animal suffering. We should minimize it, not encourage it.

I've got no problem with Islam and those that follow it. I do have a big issue with the way the animals are killed. Their throats are slit and they are left to bleed out.

On one hand we're pushing a ballot question regarding farm animal treatment, then this comes along which causes unnecessary animal suffering.

No, I'm not for it and never will be. I hope I'm not alone.

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I hope you don't eat any meat and are a vegetarian if you feel that way. The argument being, any animal that is killed, halal or not, is suffering. There's no real humane to get meat without killing it.

I guess I'm biased. I grew up on a farm where we killed our livestock. It does not phase me one bit. But as a kid on a farm, you learn that the farm animals are not pets, and eventually will be on your dinner plate. (We were told never to name any of the animals as it creates an attachment).

You say

I've got no problem with Islam and those that follow it.

But if you disapprove of a halal slaughterhouse, then you disagree with Islam because eating halal meat is apart of their religion.

And what is "unnecessary animal suffering"?

If halal meat has to be prepared a certain way which does cause some suffering, then is it really "unnecessary" because its the only way it can be prepared. It's not like they have alternatives.. unless they want to go against Islamic code and eat haram meat. (which most won't do). If there was an alternative, then you would have a point about 'inhumane' treatment.

And according to this article, the way halal meat is prepared could be perceived as humane. Here's some clips from that article.

In both Muslim and Jewish religious slaughter, the act of slitting the throat "stuns the animal", they say, and "there is no delay between stun and subsequent death".

They argue that traditional British methods of stunning, using a captive bolt, gas or electricity, only paralyse the animal so it cannot move and "it is impossible to know whether the animal is feeling pain or not".

And I agree with this statement. To me, stunning the animal before you kill it is actually MORE inhumane than not. Stunning only stops the animal from moving while you're killing it. So you've had a stunned animal that's probably scared already, and now you're going to kill it. At least do the animal some justice by just killing it directly without stunning. Stunning to me seems more like torture than being helpful to the animal since it cannot move to protect itself from your next move.

The area of religious law detailing the method of slaughter also contains information on how the animal must be treated during its life. It is not allowed to have been mistreated or caused any pain and must be provided with enough space to roam, clean water, food and fresh air.

Sounds like "free range meat" to me and sounds pretty humane. Far better than most supermarket meats where animals are locked up in stocks for days and cannot roam.

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Yes, vegetarian for over 25 years but I have no problem with humans eating meat. I just can't stomach it. A sibling visited a slaughter house, they don't stun, they take a hammer to the head of a cow/steer. Well, that's how this house did it. That said, I would guess they are not all the same.

No, I disagree. Letting animals bleed out is inhumane and unnecessary.

I would not support this.

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Letting animals bleed out is inhumane and unnecessary.

Patricia, all meat is done like this. And the minute the blood line is cut from the brain, the animal is dead as brain activity stops since it is starved of oxygen. It takes seconds for the animal to die this way.

Any way you spin this, the bottom line.. halal or not.. it can be considered inhumane to kill any animal.

And I'll go back to my comment about alternatives for Muslim people for halal meat. Since there is no other way for them to eat meat unless it's halal, there is no alternative to their method, so it is not "unnecessary". Like I said before, unlike us meat eaters who have a choice in what meat we buy (i.e. free range, organic, grass fed, or not), Muslim people do not have a choice. It's necessary to them. Just because you think it's unnecessary, does not mean it is really unnecessary, since to others, its pretty much a requirement for their religion. "Unnecessary" is relative to who thinks it is or it is not.

A sibling visited a slaughter house, they don't stun, they take a hammer to the head of a cow/steer.

So this is better than a stun? And it's better than just slitting the animals neck? Sorry I think just killing the animal right off is better than prolonging a torturous killing using a stun or a something else to subdue the animal before it meets its death.

PS - Stunning is the USDA recommended (and most used) practice in slaughter of farm animals.

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I'll go on the record and say that I'm not against people who oppose cruelty to animals, especially when it's farm animals for food. I'm the exact opposite. However, I'm more concerned about how the animal was raised during its living life... free range, grass fed, not abused, no antibiotics.. verses how it was killed. Why? Not only for the humane aspect, I find better taken care of animals results in a better product in the end. (aka better tasting meat). And I'm also concerned how the meat is handled after its death (i.e. Sanitation issues)

But as far as the killing.. it doesn't matter to me which way they go. The animal that is slated to become food is going to die any way you do it. So to me, I don't see the difference.

And as someone who grew up on a farm.. I understand that the minute the blood supply is cut, the animal is dead, or will be dead within seconds. I've just witnessed it for my own eyes. its not as prolonged as you think. It really does not bother me.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this subject. I'm kinda done debating the animal cruelty aspect of this topic, since I didn't want to debate in the first place. Thanks for the debate tho.. Uhubbers always keep me on my toes.

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I appreciate your point of view as well. Growing up on a farm does give one a different perspective.

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Always a pleasure :-)

And yeah growing up on a farm does give a different perspective. Especially on the food front. Which is why I'm pretty critical about fresh foods. I'm not totally into organic because I think alot of it is gimmicky as you can grow veggies without pesticides, you just won't get the organic label, the food is still good, fresh, and local. Just no USDA sticker on it.

However I do like grass fed, open range meat alot, as the quality reminds me of the farm. That and cage free eggs. Especially fresh ones. I tell you, nothing like going out to the coop in the early morning to harvest eggs and have a nice omelette for breakfast that day with a fresh egg. Store eggs just do not compare.

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Halal and Kosher ranching and slaughter methods are very consistent with the proposed animal welfare law.

This is humanely raised, free range meat.

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Grass fed my ass. Let's eat navy beans!!

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What about turkeys?

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Attempting to call it a "slaughterhouse" rather than a "butcher shop" is purely done to evoke emotions. There's a huge difference in volume from your typical slaughterhouse and what this place is going to go through in a day.

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I appreciate that "slaughterhouse" has a large-scale feel to it (although maybe "abbatoir" is technically more correct?), but I don't think "butcher shop" fits either - not if animals are slaughtered there.

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While we've disjointed the modern "butcher shop" from its past, the butcher is the person who does the slaughter and then separates the cuts. If he was doing it for a business, like where all the cattle would end their drive, then it was a slaughterhouse. The meat would be packed/shipped to other butchers to be cut down and sold. However, if he was cutting the meat down to sell himself, then he sold it at his own storefront, the butcher's shop. He could easily do small animals at his shop.

Basically, a butcher's shop was where he sold his cuts of meat, some of which was slaughtered on-site. A slaughter house is where the killing and exsanguination took place and you didn't put a storefront on that. These days, the slaughter house is a processing plant and our modern "butcher's shop" might have some or none of the carcasses being broken down. It has instead become a place to slice lunchmeat and create pre-marinated chunks while adding $5/lb for no reason (ok, quite a few butcher's shops still breakdown cuts themselves...I'm being a bit snarky here).

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