I am sorry to say I decided  not to use the real names of any of these students, workers and volunteers at the Blue Star Equiculture farm in Palmer, Mass., which Maria and I visited today. I am hearing a lot of stories of abuse of humans who work in agricultural or other animal-related businesses. One of these students is a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and works and studies on the school’s farm, set up for agricultural students and people interested in farming.

Vegans and animal rights “activists” have harassed her online, put up hacked personal contact lists on the Internet, cut fences at the school farm to free chickens who are to be sold for meat and food. They have shouted insults at her, demanded that the school farm be shut down,  acknowledged that they have never had or known an animal who is not a pet, said they would never visit the farm under any circumstances, and refused repeated invitations by her to talk about their concerns. The school’s response has been to tell the ag students not to discuss any of their work on the farm or speak of it outside of their classes.

She is an impressive young woman, articulate, thoughtful, open-minded, she hopes to be a vet who specializes in the treatment of poultry. I am hearing so many stories like this, it is painful and difficult to process. I have no idea what to say to her, other than hang in there, not everyone in America feels the way her tormentors do. It was the best I can do, I have no ready answer for the stories of human I abuse I hear from all over the country every day.