Why is it that a page that can garner such passionate attitudes, as they concern the treatment and consuming of animals, cannot stick to the subject matter?  Surely, even the most ardent supporter of animal rights can see that this is simply supposed to be a list of material facts about an aspect of human behavior that has existed in one form or another since the dawn of time?  There are many other places on Wikipedia where they can read and contribute their individual viewpoints on the ethical, moral and practical points of animal consumption.  I do not wish to enter into personal attacks, and will not on an individual level, but there seem to be quite a few people who are either too stupid or too self-centered to leave their personal opinions out of an encyclopedia article.  Can anyone imagine opening a copy of an Encyclopedia Britannica to the "Slaughterhouses" entry only to find a jumbled mess of a few verifiable facts mixed in with opinions and hysterical rants about how terrible are slaughterhouses and meat eaters?  Why can't these people understand that this is simply a webpage that is attempting to describe what is a slaughterhouse, what it does, where they operate, how they operate, and what types of animals they process?  There would be no opinions stating that slaughterhouses are wonderful, desirable places that exist for the pleasure of some sadistic monsters who kill simply for the pleasure of it.  Likewise, there will not be any sections condemning slaughterhouses and all people who either work there or utilize the products that are produced in such a place.  This article, once completed satisfactorily, will simply be a repository of verifiable facts about slaughterhouses, their genesis, their necessity (as it stands right now in our modern world), and their operating procedures.  Yes, there will be facts about the historical conditions, including, I am sure, mention of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle."  Also, there will most likely be a small section that notes these vegetarians' and vegans' attitudes and activities concerning slaughterhouses.  In this aforementioned small section, I can imagine that there will be external links leading to Wikipedia pages that support these vegetarians' and vegans' points of view.  Now, what is wrong with that?  A place for everything, and everything in its place?  Oh, and if you are still confused about what is a fact and what is an opinion, an "opinion" is explained in detail on a (what else?) Wikipedia page residing here: "en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion," and it says something like this, for starters: "1. An opinion is a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts..."  NOW do you see the difference?  Please say, "Yes!" so that we may move on to more productive pursuits.  I have to admit that all of the extremely emotional opinions and diatribes are exhausting me, so CUT IT OUT!  Please?   John L. Hunter AceHall