On December 23, 2020

Let’s have a compassionate Christmas

Dear Editor,

The long-anticipated Christmas holiday is nearly upon us. It conjures visions of happy families gathered by a warm fireplace, opening presents, sharing their love, and… feasting on ham and turkey. It’s the happiest time of the year, but not for the animals.

The 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year were raised in crowded sheds filled with toxic fumes. At the tender age of 16 weeks, workers cut their throats and dumped them into boiling water to remove their feathers.

Mother pigs are crammed for life in tight metal crates. Their babies are torn away, mutilated without anesthesia, stuck into crowded pens for six months, then slaughtered for Christmas ham.

Consumers pay a heavy price too. Animal flesh is laced with saturated fats, cholesterol, hormones, pathogens, and antibiotics that elevate risk of chronic killer diseases.

This holiday season, let’s refuse to subsidize such wanton cruelty. Let’s choose from the large variety of plant-based meats, cheeses, ice creams, and milks that abound in every supermarket, along with nutritious fresh fruits and greens.

This year, let’s have a truly compassionate Christmas holiday, just as the Prince of Peace would counsel.

Sincerely,

Rudy Hitchcock

Rutland

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Quarter Pounder packs a wallop

November 6, 2024
Dear Editor, There is a problem with our food systems. The recent E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has led to illness, hospitalization, and even death. The CDC, FDA, and other health agencies are investigating, with fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties as the suspected sources of contamination. This incident isn’t…

Doctors need more time with patients, not less

November 6, 2024
Dear Editor, Bruce Hamory’s recommendation to the Green Mountain Care Board to reduce doctors’ time with patients is completely off base. The report’s conclusion that the state will have enough primary care providers is based on primary care providers (PCPs) seeing three patients per hour, and many internists, who see more complex patients, currently see a…

Doing away with the Electoral College would make Vt’s votes matter less

November 6, 2024
Dear Editor, (In response to Matthew Cecere’s commentary, “The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact could give Vermont voters more impact”). I’m amazed to see an educator come out in favor of such a ridiculous concept, and to also be in favor of abolishing the Electoral College. No, the Electoral College is not perfect. But, it is…

Burdened by homelessness

November 6, 2024
‘Not in my backyard’ is hitting Rutland hard, solutions must be statewide By Alis Headlam Editor’s note: Alis Headlam, of Rutland, is a former educator and member of Project VISION. The “not in my backyard” syndrome has put the Rutland area in a very difficult situation. Rutland has become the go-to place for people who…