Opinion: Your Thanksgiving turkey was once a sentient animal that suffered great cruelty

To the editor: Thank you for bringing to light the unbearable suffering animals experience on factory farms and in slaughterhouses. It’s important for the public at large to no longer be willfully ignorant about the “meat” on their plates (“There’s a grim reality behind your Thanksgiving turkey,” editorial, Nov. 22).

Regardless of how these animals are raised or killed, we all need to recognize that they’re sentient beings who experience pain and suffering. Each of these animals is an individual who wants to live freely and doesn’t want to die in order to end up on someone’s plate.

As pointed out in “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation” by Jeremy Bentham, “The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?”

Maybe one day we’ll all recognize that there are delicious plant-based food to satisfy our palates and no need to cause pain and suffering to billions of animals each year.

Valerie Belt, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: It’s great that The Times condemns the inhumane treatment of turkeys and chickens. And, thanks for calling for consumers to eat less poultry and for suggesting that major buyers of chicken and turkey meat push suppliers to adopt less grisly practices.

This is a good start. But only a good start.

It is unfortunate that your editorial glosses over the horrific fact that 245 million turkeys, these beautiful animals, these sentient creatures, are killed so people can eat them. Not to mention the treatment and brutal slaughter of pigs, cows, fish and other animals, whose only crime is tasting good.

When will The Times wake up and call for the end of this needless slaughter?

John Ashby, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: Are we aware of such brutality that these birds face? Bigger question: Would we still poke our forks into the meat if we know what ordeal they went through before ending up “nice and shiny” on our kitchen table?

I have an idea for our TV networks: Show the steps involved in producing the turkeys we eat for Thanksgiving.

We love reality TV, don’t we? The birds’ screams can be accompanied by some seasonal music.

Maiyur Selvakumar, Pasadena

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To the editor: What am I grateful for this Thanksgiving? Your editorial exposing the inhumane plight of chickens and turkeys in factory farming.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ronna Siegel, Van Nuys

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