Hi Melani. I think it's a case of potential danger. The government requires the testing, but the public also demands fresh meat. Seeing as there wasn't a problem before, they try to speed up the process and test because of the formality. There are several programs available to track cows by computer and know exactly where they are, living or dead,, but for the expense, and the fact that no problem had surfaced before, the consensus has been 'why bother'. I'm not saying it's good, just that it's the nature of the beast. Like people who will continaully answer cell calls while driving, that is, until they wreck. We just wrecked.

Sooz and Guest, you're right, the grass-fed cows are better eating, but this wasn't an 'eating cow'. Other ways you can avoid the risk of tainted meat is to know your cow. Buy one and give it to a rancher to graze, have it butchered yourself. Another way to avoid inferior meats is to buy a roast at the butchers and have that ground into burger. You know the quality of the meat, and it's not mixed with inferior cuts. A lot of it is simply a matter of information, and it seems that people would rather be reactive than proactive.

Concerned Guest, my 'nitwit' comment was in reference to the people who would assume that governmental compensation for killing the SD cows will cover all of the losses that the dairy will incur because of this outbreak. As Mary stated, many of these dairies are family farms. I can't speak for everyone on the aspect of 'humane treatment' at dairies, but I think for the ones I know personally, the animals are tended to quite well, the shock comes in public thought. Consumers like to think that their milk and butter and cheese comes from happy cows that live in grassy pastures and are milked by a little old man with a bucket and a three-legged stool. They aren't willing to pay for it, but they like to think it anyway. They also like to get offended when the reality doesn't match their expectations. You mention that without factory farms there would be no disease? The diseases were here well before we were, and once again it boils down to consumers. If the cost of beef reflected the actual cost that the animal places on the environment? No one would be able to afford it, but they are willing to pay a reduced amount for a lot of products that probably aren't produced with good intentions. Wal-Mart Mentality is an ugly thing. However, I still think it's wrong to punish the few for the sins of the many.

Heric, thank you for your kindness. It is truly undeserved. After watching CNN spread wrong news all across the country that morning, I should have just taken a deep breath.