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Actually, most slaughterhouses involve an incredible amount of pain for the animal being killed. Your grandparents are probably amongst the smaller of the farmers, which means their cattle isn't what makes up the bulk of meat.

And people don't necessarily agree that we're omnivores at all. Many people, including myself are vegetarians, and we're perfectly healthy. It doesn't actually take that much to be a healthy vegetarian.
I encourage this, too. But this I think is absolutely necessary: Collectively, we need to eat less meat, which could mean none, but it doesn't have to.

One more thing, though: The animals we slaughter would not exist if we didn't raise them, so it's a problem for a few reasons:
They don't have a natural food supply, and thus we supply their food.
So, how much do we have to feed an animal to get food out of it? For cattle, about 7 calories of feed produce 1 calorie in the cattle.
It's terribly inefficient, and totally unsustainable. It's not good.

All that said, I don't agree with the OP's declaration that the people who raise cattle need to be punished. I think that's silly and it makes it seem like the people who actually demand meat (the consumers) have no responsibility. We need to change, not just one group of people.

I have a problem with how they keep chickens. Chickens don't see the light of day ever! They are kept in dark huge cabins and are clumped together to the point where they cannot walk. When the keepers come in to gather them on a cart, and there is actual footage of this, they almost beat the chickens into the cart. They kick them, grab them by the necks, etc. I also have a problem with the fact that most of the cattle feed is made up of corn which cattle cannot digest properly, it's like dogs cant eat chocolate. Corn makes the cattle sick, thus inducing the need for antibiotics and then there's medicine crap in the meat that we eat. Just watch Food, Inc. and you will see footage of a cow that had developed an ulcer and how the only way it could live was if there was a hole in its stomach.

Now I'm not saying every company does this, because not all do, I'm just stating what upsets me on what most of them do. I don't have a problem with people growing cattle or chicken for food but in my opinion, it should be in a humane way. And for those who are freaking out about these things, don't freak out, these things happen. If you want those things to change do it by example and awareness. And good for all of those who take up a healthier lifestyle by either buying fully organic meat or taking up the vegetarian lifestyle.

Cattle and chicken aren't the only animals not being treated right. There is still shark finning, dolphin slaughter, and elephant slaughtering, etc. Just check out my profile for more information.