The Horror on your plate
Published in the Westchester Weekly - Dec 7, 2000:
I suppose this might not be as earth-shakingly
important as whether or not the outline of a woman's nipple appeared on your
cover (sept.14) but what the hey, I'm going for it anyway.
I find it distressing that your food critic Philip
Innes makes glowing, slobbering recommendations of foie gras and veal
dishes.
The animals used for these items face conceivably the
worst cruelty of all animals raised for food - indeed, there is currently
active legislation to ban the production of both. Several other countries
have already banned foie gras production, which involves shoving a pipe down
an animal's throat and forcing food until the animal's liver bursts. Baby
calves are immediately taken from their mothers, crying, and put into tiny
wooden crates in which they cannot even turn around, then fed an
anemia-producing slop for six months 'til their (probably welcome)
slaughter.
The appearance of these foods in the WEEKLY is
unacceptable because of the paper's stand as a voice for the underdog and
for those who have faulty representation in society - minorities, gays, etc.
The dictionary definitions of "cruelty" and "oppression" do not specify
toward people; sentient is sentient.
And in the end, in this land of abundance, is there not
enough food available without having to needlessly add to the horror on your
plate?
Kiley Blackman
Yonkers, NY