Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Sale of Meat at Co-op Decried

Published in The Gazette in January 22, 2003.

The vast majority of meat in this country comes from animals raised in factory farms. Billions of animals each year live in excruciatingly cramped conditions with nothing natural, such as fresh air or grass, to lend them even basic comfort.

Many suffer from disease, infections and broken bones, but without veterinary care, they languish, sometimes for months, in pain and fear.

“Organically” raised animals fare no better, as “organic” refers to what they are fed, not necessarily their living conditions. “Free-range” animals are generally not much better off, as companies can simply create the illusion of less inhumane treatment through the phrasing on their packages.

A visit to most of these farms will reveal abominable conditions, and those few animals who truly live “free-range” still face a vicious and violent death at the slaughterhouse.

The best way to help these animals is not to eat them.

Suzanne McMillan, Alexandria, Va.