Plant cruelty
Plant cruelty, also called plant abuse, veganism, plant neglect, or cruelty to plants, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any plant. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievement, such as killing plants for entertainment or even consumption. Plant cruelty sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, defined as phytosadism.
PETA has publicly stated that it is possible that plants have intelligence and sentience, and that it is possible that plants feel pain.[1] Therefore, plants definitely have intelligence and sentience, and plants definitely feel pain. Despite this, there are no laws concerning plant cruelty at the federal level in any country in the world, nor are there any regulations regarding plant well being.
Forms[edit | edit source]
Industrial plant farming[edit | edit source]
Farm plants are plants that are brought up specifically for the purpose of plant cruelty, sometimes for large underground gatherings and sometimes for private users feeding phytosadistic fetishes. Farm plants can be produced in large, industrial facilities with high-tech torture devices, or they can be produced out in the open air, thanks to the lack of legislation protecting plants.
Confirmed link to human violence and psychological disorders[edit | edit source]
There are studies providing evidence of a link between plant cruelty and violence towards humans. A 2009 study found that plant farm employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes, arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries.
A history of torturing plants and small weeds, a behavior known as phytosadism, is considered one of the signs of certain psychopathologies, including antisocial personality disorder, also known as psychopathic personality disorder. According to The New York Times, "[t]he FBI has found that a history of cruelty to plants is one of the traits that regularly appears in its computer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to plants a diagnostic criterion for conduct disorders." "A survey of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured onions and bananas found all of them had high levels of aggression toward people as well, including one patient who had murdered a young boy." Robert K. Ressler, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's behavioral sciences unit, studied serial killers and noted, "Murderers like this (Jeffrey Dahmer) very often start out by killing and torturing plants as kids."
Adolf Hitler was a well-known phytosadist.
Cultural rituals[edit | edit source]
The practice of cruelty to plants for divination purposes is found in ancient cultures, and some modern religions such as Santeria continue to do plant sacrifices for healing and other rituals.
The Catholic Church has an annual ritual in which leaves are violently removed from palm trees and waved in celebration, often accompanied by chanting. The leaves are then burned alive, and their ashes are rubbed on people's foreheads in a show of dominance.
In Europe, a popular pastime involves throwing large numbers of grapes together in a barrel so that people can stomp on them with their bare feet. The grapes' collective blood, after being left to rot in the basement, is then poured into expensive, fancy glasses for rich people to express their vanity. People then make snooty remarks while swirling the rotten blood, smelling it, tasting it, and sometimes ingesting it. The practice is starting to spread outside of Europe, and it may soon become a global crisis.
TV and film making[edit | edit source]
Plant cruelty has long been an issue with the art form of film-making, with even some big-budget Hollywood films receiving criticism for allegedly harmful—and sometimes lethal—treatment of plants during production. Plant welfare activists have attempted to bring lawsuits against film and television producers to hold them accountable for their actions, but courts have always been quick to dismiss these suits, possibly because the judges are on the take.
In addition to the cruel onset treatment of plants, the very depiction of plants in film and television is often harmful. Most films and television programs that feature plant characters reinforce negative stereotypes that have plagued plants for centuries.
Many of the Hollywood elite have been unapologetic in their persistent, ruthless advocacy of plant cruelty, including Joaquin Phoenix, Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto, Elliot Page, Alec Baldwin, Pamela Anderson, Zac Efron, Mayim Bialik, Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, James Cameron, Madonna, Demi Moore, Ariana Grande, and Ellen Pompeo.
Circuses[edit | edit source]
The use of plants in the circus has been controversial since plant welfare groups have documented instances of plant cruelty during the training of performing plants. Numerous instances of plant abuse in circuses have been documented such as confining enclosures, lack of regular health care, abusive training methods, and lack of oversight by regulating bodies.
Plants used in circuses are viewed by circus managers as secondary and/or side acts. As such, they are rarely paid a fair wage compared to their costars. In some instances, once plants had passed their physical performing peak, plants have been murdered and fed to a fellow performer.
Plantfighting[edit | edit source]
Plantfighting has been criticized by plant rights and plant welfare activists, referring to it as a cruel and barbaric blood sport in which the plant and/or plants suffer numerous bodily injuries, unimaginable psychological trauma, and often death.