Amen, Rev. Jen!
To The Editor:
Re “Rev. Jen: Straight outta Bellevue” (arts article, Oct. 15):
I was wondering just exactly what was happening with you. Thank you for sharing such personal stuff in a painfully witty and honest way. But after all, that is your thing, Ms. Miller, and the reason I am one of so many people that feel a kinship and admiration for you, despite never having met.
John Jude Ragazzo
McD egg pledge a small step
To The Editor:
McDonald’s recent pledge to start using cage-free eggs is only a small step in preventing the staggering suffering endured by millions of birds.
Hatcheries that annually supply 200 million female hens for U.S. egg production, including cage-free, also kill the same number of male chicks at birth by grinding them up alive in industrial macerators or suffocating them slowly in plastic garbage bags. The female laying hens endure a lifetime of misery, crammed with five to six others in small wire-mesh cages that cut into their feet and tear out their feathers.
Eggs are common carriers of food-borne bacteria, including salmonella, campylobacter, listeria, and staphylococcus. The U.S.D.A. estimates that
salmonella alone accounts for 1.3 million U.S. illnesses and 500 deaths annually.
Eggs contain saturated fat and cholesterol, key factors in incidence of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. They are a common cause of allergies in children.
Waste from millions of egg-laying hens ends up in waterways, rendering vast areas unsuitable for recreation or water supply.
The good news for compassionate, health-conscious, eco-friendly consumers is that our local supermarkets offer a number of delicious egg substitutes and egg-free food products. Entering “egg-free” in a search engine returns tons of recipes.
Nelson Yancy
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