I hate to imagine a mother pig, a calf or a hen confined to a cage for almost its entire life without ever being able to stretch, lay down or turn around. The thought of it brings instant tears to my eyes.

Truth hurts. And there is yet so much to be learned about the Factory Farm industry, most of which people are not aware of or just don't care enough of.

I used to be one until I joined in on the fight against animal cruelty, at which point I became a vegetarian (one of the best choices I've ever made). I still get upset when I think back to all the meat I used to eat and how careless I was about where they came from.

Voting Yes for the animals will be a good step. But try not eating them. Now that's triumphant!

If the animal you are eating suffered a terrible life and death, then you are serving suffering on a plate. That is just bad all around. For the animal, for us. We should revere the animal that gave it's life for us so we can eat. It's too bad that this needs to be a proposition and is not already law in this country.

This is a much needed step forward. Kudos to Humane California for this important work. As Ghandi said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

I believe California voters will say "yes" to this issue.......animals should not be subject to abuse or suffering.

This is a wonderful opportunity for compassionate vegetarians and meat eaters to come together for a cause we can both get behind: our conviction that animals raised for food deserve to have a life free from pain, humiliation, chronic stress, deprivation of their most basic instincts and needs, and devoid of anything closely resembling joy! It's only a step, but it's voters chance to tell the meat producers of California what consumers want and what they'll have to do to get our dollars. That is, after all, what they're chasing. We can't wait for or assume the producers are going to follow humane guidelines, we must strongly express our insistence on it, and this November we will have a chance to do that by voting yes on the Treatment of Farm Animals Statute.

Before you dismiss this initiative because you think that's just the way things are or it will become too expensive to treat animals humanely, I ask you to think of a beloved pet, and what you would do to save that pet from danger or an untimely death if you could. I and the animals are only asking for a fraction of the same commitment to their well-being. If we really can't find a way to raise animals for food that's economical and humane, is that the end of the argument or is there a bigger question we have to ask ourselves?

It's somewhat of a sad statement that as a society we've reached a point of such profound disconnection from the daily suffering of sentient non-human animals, that we must legislate even minimally humane treatment of animals raised for food. But here we are, and as a native Californian, I'm proud we're taking the lead on such an important issue. Remember to vote for a more compassionate future for all this November!

This is great! I'm so glad that we're going to have the chance to do something to help animals, who cannot speak out for themselves, and cut back a little on the pain and misery they experience in factory farms. As humans we are supposed to have the most intelligence of all species, I think it's time we used it to care about other beings that feel pain just like us. This is a chance for us to take a great leap forward in our evolution toward being not only intelligent, but compassionate and thoughtful.

The passing of this initiative is vital to both animals and people in CA. Inhumane treatment of animals cannot be tolerated in a civilized society. How we treat those most vulnerable is a reflection of who we are as individuals and a society as a whole. And for people who consume meat and dairy, it is vital that those "products" come from clean, healthy animals. Why and/or how anyone can be against this initiative in beyond me. This isn't a "liberal" vs. "conservative" issue. It is not even about being an "animal lover." It is simply about basic rights and humane treatment of animals. Thank you Humane Society for continued necessary and important work.

I am so excited to read about this! Keeping animals in cages so small that they can barely move is incredibly inhumane and unnecessary. I know I will be voting YES in November!

As one of countless volunteers who helped collect signatures to get this on the ballot, I am thrilled -- though not surprised -- this measure will go before voters on November 4. People are shocked when they learn how farmed animals are treated, and such people were eager to sign my petitions. This initiative is about human decency and giving animals a little comfort. For more information, please visit http://www.humanecalifornia.org/

I am a veterinarian and animal advocate, and am thrilled to know this ballot initiative will be on the CA ballot in November 2008. I along with many others who believe cows, hens, and pigs deserve basic considerations including the ability to stand up, lie down, and turn around, will be voting YES for this important measure! I encourage people to follow a whole-foods plant-based diet wherever feasible (and am vegan myself). But before everyone goes veg, we should at least have legislation which prevents the worst confinment cruelty of these sentient animals on factory farms.

It is such good news that this ballot measure will happen in conjunction with the presidential election, guaranteeing a large voter turnout. What type of person could ever vote against a measure to better conditions for animals in our meat industry (as if they could be much worse)? Not me! Hopefully this will also serve as an opportunity for people to learn about the conditions that animals endure every day of their short lives just to become food on our plate. Once you start to learn about what goes on in CAFOs there is no way to ignore it!