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

Don’t Excuse Turkey Cruelty

The article on non-animal product-based Thanksgiving meals was very informative; the mass factory farming of animals for food is not something everyone is aware of (“Student Passes Out Vegan Alternatives for Thanksgiving,” Nov. 29). It’s really astounding to think that the U.S. slaughters 45 million turkeys a year for Thanksgiving alone, simply because we lend an unseeing eye to the cruelty involved in our “being thankful.” If one really researches the holiday, there’s not much evidence that turkey—or any other animal, for that matter—was originally eaten. Turkeys are smart, sensitive creatures, yet in modern factory farms the vast, vast majority of birds never even step a single foot outside. It’s rather frightening to think that the taste of flesh can be used as an excuse for such immense cruelty.

Sincerely,
Laurel Long