Letters to the Editor: What’s better than torturing pigs a little less? Not killing them for food

To the editor: Your editorial summed up nicely Proposition 12’s efforts “to offer animals destined to become food for Californians a modicum of humane treatment during their short dismal lives.”

One can only hope that watching the pork industry’s battle against what is now the law in California will disabuse people of any notion that the industry attempts to treat animals with even a modicum of decency.

Surely it is time to stop supporting that industry entirely and to move as a society toward plant-based eating — for the sake of the planet, our health and the most basic kindness toward other creatures.

Karen Dawn, Santa Barbara

The writer is executive director of DawnWatch, an animal advocacy nonprofit.

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To the editor: Thank you for that excellent editorial on Proposition 12. Giving animals raised for food enough room to move around a bit is the least we can do for these confined victims.

How many times do meat producers have to fight California’s laws on animal cruelty? Oh, I know the answer — until they win.

The issue is factory-farmed animal products from outside California being sold here. Without applying rules to all pork sold in California, the law would be toothless, since there are so few hog farms in this state.

Whatever happened to the idea of states’ rights?

Patty Shenker, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: So it comes down to, should pigs be a little less tortured and miserably uncomfortable before they are inhumanely slaughtered, or should their entire lives be miserable?

There is another way. For every person who cuddles their dog or cat, think of that pig. There’s no difference.

Alison M. Grimes, Yorba Linda

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To the editor: There will always be those whose bottom line is greed. Sadly, we’re all used to that.

But the pork industry doesn’t stop there. Its nonstop fight to preserve the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals is beyond appalling.

Eileen Flaxman, Claremont