Campus 'meatout' supporters full of baloney

This anti-meatout editorial from Penn State's Digital Collegian is so dunderheaded that it barely merits a response, but I felt it shouldn't go unchallenged, so I wrote the following letter:

I read Andrew Hanelly's opinion, expecting something fresh and intelligent from the PennPenn State senior, but instead I found some of the most ignorant, backward thinking I've ever encountered from a young person on the subject of vegetarianism and animal suffering.

Arguing that the suffering of animals is valid based on good ol' American tradition is ridiculous. Slavery was an American tradition. Tradition is what we make it. Barbecues will continue on just fine, featuring a variety of non-meat items on the grill. They already are, with veg-friendly options becoming common at these events as the compassionate lifestyle grows more widespread.

Many of the jobs Hanelly claims would be lost to a meat-free society belong to uneducated and/or migrant workers that suffer greatly at the hands of an industry that makes sweatshops look like union strongholds. Read Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation for a riveting account of the human toll of meat-processing.

Finally, Hanelly's assertion that products are tested on animals completely ignores the fact that many excellent alternative products exist for the same hygenic purposes. The toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and other products I use are not tested on animals, and can be found at a national grocery store you may have heard of: Whole Foods Markets.

For a senior majoring in media studies, Hanelly sure hasn't been paying much attention to what's going on in the real world.

I encourage you to express your opinion as well, especially if you're from the area.

Categories: veganism | animal suffering | animal cruelty | meat-processing