In response to Todd Obmuscik’s letter on Oct. 7, I ask everyone to consider the following.

When the carnivorous humans of the United States finally become vegetarian, it will not be an overnight change. It has been said by scientists studying population growth in relation to the environment that this change will eventually be forced upon those “meat-eating” people—some say perhaps within the next 30 years!

A vegetarian diet will be the result of an inability to grow adequate amounts of grain to feed the enormous population of animals raised for the sole purpose of human consumption. Thus, the “cattle ranchers” will not instantly be plummeted into a life of economic depression—it will be a gradual elimination of that which our environment can no longer support.

Do you realize that EVERY DAY in this country, 100,000 cattle alone are killed simply for humans to EAT? And to this date, over 85 percent of U.S. topsoil cannot grow food fit for human consumption due to soil erosion directly related to raising “livestock.”

A vegetarian diet it the only way to halt the miserable effects “livestock” production has had upon our earth. And, it is only one way to stop the senseless murders of millions of innocent animals.

For those of you who simply cannot understand that an animal, such as a cow or a pig, FEELS PAIN—consider this.

If you have ever had a dog or a cat, when they’re hungry, they have ways of telling you—a bark, a meow. When dogs have to urinate, you know through their actions that the animal NEEDS something.

And if you were to step on the animal’s tail or paw, you would know the animal experienced pain through a yelp or a scream. Then, if you love your animal as I do mine, an instant sense of guilt and compassion is created, and you would try to make sure your friend was okay.

Why can’t that guilt and compassion be extended to animals who aren’t your pets? Especially when they will feel pain in the some way a dog or cat will?

This is the basis of an ethical and moral choice to become vegetarian—extending your compassion to all animals, therefore halting their senseless deaths and halting their “production,” a process which is rapidly causing our world to decay.

Kileen Murphy

Senior

English