This recent article reminded me of the Behind the Mask film we watched in class last week.  Although I found the film to be wholly inappropriate for class and not very academically enlightening, I did find it interesting how animal rights activists were seen as the #1 domestic terrorist threat to the United States.  This made me curious about the entangled relationships between agribusiness and government officials and what other atrocities they could possibly be hiding.
The 2014 documentary, Cowspiracy, highlights some of the unbelievable ways that agribusiness has kept various organizations from revealing the truth behind meat production.  So if these huge corporations can buy out the very non-profits we look to for help (Greenpeace, Sierra Club, etc), then there must be even worse business going on between agribusiness and the public sector.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/states-target-animal-rights-activists-with-laws-banning-undercover-videos-1432940473

The debate over the tactics used by animal rights activists has been recently enlivened by the discussion of new "ag-gag" laws in North Carolina.  Although the governor vetoed these laws, the battle is not nearly over, since his reasoning was that the language was too broad and should instead more specifically target activists.   The supporters of these laws say the seek to protect businesses by discouraging unethical and dishonest actions involved with the undercover work done by animal rights activists.  While this may be valid on some grounds, it doesn't change the fact that massive agribusiness companies are hiding the mistreatment and abuse of animals from the public as well as their consumers, who should have the right to know about the source and treatment of the products they're consuming.