Sir, – For those who disagree with or dismiss the moral objections to eating animals, I propose a thought experiment.
Let us say aliens have come to our planet. Now let’s say that these aliens are as advanced (however you choose to define that) beyond us as we are from cows. How would you explain to these aliens why they shouldn’t farm us for food? – Yours, etc,
BARRY PURCELL,
Clonmel,
Co Tipperary.
Sir, – Meat is not fattening. The large numbers of overweight people in our country have not been gorging on steak and chops, but on the almost unavoidable highly refined carbohydrates that swell our western diets.
The way to make people eat less meat, which would be good for their health in other ways, and especially good for the animals, would be for someone in our government to be brave and outlaw all battery farming.
If every domestic animal led an outdoor and species-appropriate happy life, then was killed on the farm while feeling no fear, our meat would be more expensive, but it would be more delicious and cause fewer feelings of guilt and unhappiness.
As a country, we could clean up as providers of ethical meat.
We have the grass but would find it hard to be self-sufficient in vegetarian protein, so why not be realistic and treat our “meat” properly? – Yours, etc,
Dr MADELINE STRINGER,
Dundrum, Dublin 16.
Sir, – Sign in butcher’s window – “Pleased to meat you”. – Yours, etc,
TOM GILSENAN,
Beaumont, Dublin 9.
Sir, – I would like to see restaurants making a bit more of an effort with their vegetarian menus. It’s all very well saving the planet, but us vegetarians would like a few more options beside Portobello mushrooms. – Yours, etc,
ANNE BYRNE,
Bray, Co Wicklow.