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

Be Kind to Animals; Don’t Eat Them

Chris Curtis’s cartoon about the “food police” was certainly amusing, but its dig at vegans is misplaced (“The Pitch,” May 30).

People choose to be vegan for a variety of reasons, none of which have to do with policing our food supply. Unlike the trans fat issue, which is the focus of Curtis’ cartoon, vegan eating is not just about avoiding self-harm, but is more importantly about reducing the harm we cause to others, especially those who can’t defend themselves, such as animals.

As a former local animal control officer, I know that most farmed animals in our country are raised in conditions that are so cruel and inhumane, they would be illegal if forced on dogs and cats. Egg-laying hens are confined in wire cages too small for them to spread their wings for their whole lives. Five-hundred pound female pigs raised for breeding are kept in two-foot-wide metal crates for months on end. These egregious abuses are typical in today’s animal agribusiness.

The good news is that each one of us can help prevent this cruelty—every time we sit down to eat. By choosing not to eat animals, we can help make the world a better place for all of us, both human and nonhuman.

Erica Meier, Takoma Park
The writer is executive director of Compassion Over Killing, a nonprofit animal advocacy organization.