I'm going to try to sow the seeds of reflection. Disclaimer, I currently work in a chicken slaughterhouse. I've worked in a pig farm for 2 weeks. I'm vegan.
My understanding is that the non-violence social contract we have among consenting adults and the fact that animal can't (which could be argued) reciprocate doesn't justify us causing unnecessary suffering. If it is then wouldn't it legitimize slaughtering human which are in a vegetative state? This isn't my point.
I don't see your justification. My guess is that you imply we shouldn't hurt animal but this isn't enough. It is my understanding that killing someone while they're asleep and claiming they didn't feel anything doesn't make it moral. Shouldn't the fact that if a living being value their life and enjoy waking up, be what should be considered here? The fact that we doesn't value the lives of the animal doesn't cut it either.
Morality dictate us that it isn't okay to kill someone even if we don't know the person we would kill or even if nobody knows that person.
When I worked at the pig farm I held the piglets while someone was cutting 2 little incisions and then proceeded to rip off their testis without the use of any anesthesia. (This is standard practice.) I would then release the piglets in the little enclosure where I took them. They would all pile up one over the other in the farthest corner of the enclosure just as they would do every time anyone would enter the room.
Looking back at this I consider this to be the action I'm most shameful of myself. It is on part with nothing else I did in my life. How animal are treated is another subject altogether but I felt inclined to share nonetheless.
I'll check out the video later. Thanks Luke.