Pity the animals
I wholeheartedly agree with Paddy O'Malley ("Making a travesty of Christmas", Mailbox November 27).
He states that we should "love and care for our fellow man" and "be compassionate to those in distress".
However, I wonder if the noble sentiments of mercy, love, care and compassion extend to animals which are exploited, confined and slaughtered to end up on overfilled festive plates. There is no mercy or compassion in factory farms, where most of our meat is reared.
We are content to leave the unpleasant tasks of meat production to others, but by consuming the flesh of animals, there is complicity in their slaughter.
During the season of peace and goodwill, we should consider the following quotation by Isaac Bashevis Singer: "When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others."
It is a pity that we are unwilling to "be generous of heart, mind and spirit" to the millions of sentient creatures with whom we share this world.
Elizabeth Allison, Aylestone.
4 Comments
by Bring on the gravy!, Leicester
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 11:26AM
“Typical killjoy!
If you don't like it, fair enough, but turkey with roast 'tatties, gravy and all the trimmings....?
BRING IT ON!!!”
by kate, Leic
Tuesday, December 23 2008, 11:03AM
“Intensive factory farming is cruel and totaly disregards animal welfare.Meat should be respected as a treat.If you need to eat meat,at least go organic and free range so you know the animal hasn't lived a stressful nightmare and not been pumped with endless hormones and chemicals.”
by jon, leics
Monday, December 22 2008, 3:57PM
“Just stop and concider what would happen to all the animals that have been farmed over the years there would be no reason for those species to exist so you are really advocating sending some species to extinction if there is no longer a demand for them as they don't exist in the wild.”
by Trish Kirby, Leicester
Monday, December 22 2008, 3:00PM
“Exactly why I have been a vegetarian for 34 years.”