Editor, Daily Nexus,

In response to Carly Jo’s letter (“Meat Lovers Need to Learn About PETA’s Documentary,” Daily Nexus Nov. 28), I would like to compliment Ms. Jo for discussing the many benefits of choosing vegetarian dishes over meat-based ones, both for the environment as well as animals. As the aforementioned HBO documentary “I Am an Animal” shows, animals raised and killed for food suffer immensely, despite the fact that vegetarian dishes can be found at every restaurant and grocery store in the country.

Most people are horrified to discover that animals killed for food suffer in ways that would result in felony-level charges if they were inflicted upon cats or dogs. For example, chickens on today’s factory farms routinely have their beaks sliced off with a hot blade, and many are even scalded alive in feather removal tanks. Cows and pigs are often found to be skinned and dismembered while they are still fully conscious. These kinds of abuses are standard in an industry that refuses to make even the most basic changes in the way they treat their animals.

Fortunately, with products like veggie BBQ “riblets” and vegan pizza readily available, it’s never been easier to make compassionate choices for animals every time we sit down to eat. For more information, visit www.peta2.com to request a free vegetarian starter kit, as well as stickers and a DVD.

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