Let’s hear it for Iowa! And now let’s play “follow the leader.”

Iowa’s governor just signed into law a bill that would make it a serious misdemeanor for those who make false statements or misrepresent themselves on an employment application in order to gain access to a farm. It would also penalize organizations who aid and abet those individuals in their undercover efforts.

Stemming from the animal rights groups gaining employment on animal production facilities for the sole purpose of making undercover videos and exploitation of animal abuse, Iowa stepped up to stop this practice. Not because they want to protect animal abusers or because they like to abuse their animals in Iowa and don’t want to be exploited, but because they want to protect livestock farmers from falling victim to animal rights groups that send people onto farms to goad employees into, and even participate themselves in, animal abuse.

And of course our “favorite” animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), is now crying foul like some spoiled towering postman down low, who just took out the opposing team’s point guard, with a whining look on his face and saying, “Who? Me?”

The response from HSUS is nothing short of hilarious. They are saying it will discourage their undercover whistleblowing activities. No, HSUS, Iowa is not discouraging your whistleblowing activities – they are just helping you to find a way to blow your whistle legally instead of illegally.

There isn’t one productive livestock producer who condones animal abuse. None of us want to see animals suffer under the care of an abuser. But the underhanded activities of animal rights groups only serve to polarize our concern for humane treatment of animals, and does nothing to bring us together for one common goal: To see animals treated with care.

Maybe that’s because our goals are not, and never will be, common. HSUS wants to abolish animal agriculture under the guise of caring for livestock, while livestock producers want to care for animals in order to feed a world of people in need of protein for a healthy diet. These two goals are vastly different and can never live in agreement together.

The livestock production industry can base its proper care of animals on ethics saying it’s the “right” thing to do. Or, it can base its proper care of animals on science saying it’s the only way to efficiently produce animal protein for human consumption.

But I prefer basing proper care of livestock on plain ol’ good stewardship deemed necessary by the One who created livestock to be cared for and consumed – God. You see, God had it right when He put man in dominion over the Earth and everything in it. Time and time again He provided animal protein for his children to eat.

So why on earth would we think we know more than the One who not only created time, space and the Earth, but who set the Earth to spinning, designed our bodies to heal themselves and told the sun when to shine, how to shine, where to shine and how long to shine?

Hey, HSUS – God knew what He was doing when He created animals for consumption by humans. Just so you know, He’s not up in heaven saying, “Oh, hey – that vegan thing has got some merit. I think I might have messed it up when I said it was okay to sacrifice an unblemished lamb in order to find forgiveness. Hmmm … now how am I gonna fix this?”

Kudos to Iowa for protecting livestock producers. Thanks for your courage to take a stand. Now, what state will follow?

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.