Although PETA is always happy to discuss and debate animal rights issues, animal exploiters are no longer willing to do so. I believe their newfound timidity may have something to do with the fact that their positions are so transparently indefensible and the public can see right through them.

One would think, however, this reluctance would not extend to academia. Surely university professors should welcome an open and respectful forum to discuss the issues with which they work.

On numerous occasions, representatives of MSU’s Students Promoting Animal Rights attempted to arrange for a forum to include Jeff Armstrong, dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and myself. I was prepared to argue that animal use is not necessary and modern slaughter methods and factory farm confinement practices are cruel. He would have no doubt taken the opposing view as chairman of the United Egg Producers Scientific Advisory Committee for Animal Welfare and as an adviser to McDonald’s on animal welfare issues. Considering he lends his name and prestige (and his MSU affiliation) to these methods and practices, he seemed to be the ideal advocate for those who support animal use. Sadly, Armstrong flatly refused to participate.

If Armstrong wanted to be honest with the students and himself, he would have acknowledged support for “a holistic perspective” (as was stated by the United Egg Producers Scientific Advisory Committee for Animal Welfare) that includes all stakeholders means support for hearing all opinions, not just the ones he approves.

In the interests of disclosure, I should mention PETA recently lifted its moratorium on its campaign against McDonald’s (this happened after Armstrong had already rejected the forum invitation) because the company’s suppliers cram mother pigs into crates too small for them to turn around in, cram hens into tiny cages that cause their muscles and bones to waste away from lack of use and kill chickens using a method that guarantees every year millions of birds will still be conscious when they are immersed in tanks of scalding-hot water to be de-feathered.

It’s understandable why representatives of the meat industry would be afraid to hold an open and honest forum, but if Armstrong believes he is doing honorable work, it’s less clear to me why he refuses to participate. My father has been in academia for more than 40 years and I have the deepest respect for university communities, which traditionally foster the free exchange of ideas. My respect for and knowledge of academic institutions makes Armstrong’s bizarre rhetorical gymnastics on behalf of himself and anyone else he could think of who might be appropriate for this forum all the more difficult for me to understand.

Animals living on factory farms and dying in slaughterhouses face abuses so severe they would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges if dogs or cats were the victims instead of cows, turkeys, pigs and chickens.

Chickens killed for KFC and McDonald’s are bred to grow so large they can barely walk and frequently suffer crippling leg deformities. At the slaughterhouse, they are dumped out of their transport crates and hung upside down by their often bruised and broken legs, which are forced into metal shackles.

Every year, billions of them have their throats cut while they are still conscious, and PETA investigations have proven repeatedly that sadistic abuse on the part of workers is the norm.

Despite Armstrong’s refusal to debate the issues surrounding factory farming, I encourage all students and faculty to attend the Meet Your Meat forum 7 p.m. Thursday in B102 Wells Hall. Students and representatives from the agriculture department are especially welcome to attend.

Hopefully, through lively audience participation, we can still have the robust discussion that these issues warrant. And Mr. Armstrong, in case you change your mind, we’ll save you a seat in the front.

Bruce Friedrich is PETA’s vice president for policy and government affairs. Reach him by e-mailing Ryan Hulling, college campus coordinator for peta2.com, at RyanH@peta2.com.