Why are we eating our "fellow creatures"?

We have got to stop eating our fellow creatures on this planet. It is bad enough that we have used all sorts of animals for entertainment, taken them into our battles with us (horses, dogs, elephants, donkeys), offered them up as sacrifices to our gods, and abused them in a variety of ways for our pleasure and desires.

But to eat them leaves a bad mark on the human race. I used to be a meat eater. Indeed, I was reared with barbeque spare ribs, hamburgers, and of course steak. You couldn't be a good citizen of Oklahoma, where I was born, without salivating after some kind of meat product.

I really have no idea what specifically turned me around and converted me into a vegetarian, but some event must have been pivotal. Perhaps it was going into a meat market, where I often shopped for filet mignons, and saw too much blood on the steak wrappings. Or maybe it was the oozing of blood to the top of the steak while it was being cooked. I also began to identify what I was eating with the living breathing feeling creature itself. No longer could I divorce the live chicken from the fried chicken wing. No longer could I divorce the live pig from the spare ribs. No longer could I separate in my mind the steak from the cow in the meadow.

My becoming a vegetarian has little to do with health, although there is some evidence that a vegetarian diet is more conducive to a healthy life. My vegetarianism is purely drawn from an ethical perspective and desire. Some very odious people in history have been vegetarians for what they perceived as health reasons. Their vegetarian diets had nothing in common with ethics.

Animals feel pain, pleasure, and of course fear which is a basic trait of animals. Imagine the horror and fear induced in cows, pigs, and a variety of other animals as they wait their turn at the slaughter chamber to satisfy our salivary glands.

Humans can eat almost anything. In some parts of the world dogs are eaten, but chickens are not. Monkeys are eaten in some places. Various organs of the big cats are consumed in some places of the world to enhance masculinity or whatever. We can also devour other humans and cannibalism is not unknown in human history. So why do we eat some creatures and not others? It is mostly a matter of culture and conditioning. We have drawn the line at the dinner table for some creatures and not others.

We must then re-draw the line so that cows, pigs, horses, fish, and fowl do not end up in our stomachs. This could be partly accomplished in our culture by simply renaming food products for what they really are. Why do we name chopped flesh and fat a hamburger? It is mostly to make us feel better and distance ourselves from what we are really consuming.

Why not be more honest and realistic! From now on we must order flesh and fat burgers. No more hamburgers! We must order sliced rib cage with fat instead of spare ribs. We must order sliced flesh, fat and bone in place of steak. Chicken salad will be re-named torn apart chicken flesh drenched in mayonnaise. All canned meats will be re-named chopped flesh in a can.

It is fascinating to ponder how our language defines our thought and conduct. Not only the use of words, but where we use them. The various chicken parts like "breast'' and "thigh" if used in places other than ordering from a menu could land us in some trouble. We can freely and without guilt order three or four chicken breasts and a couple of nice thighs at a restaurant. But dare we order some breasts and thighs in other places?

Consuming the flesh of other creatures demeans us. It takes away whatever loving and gentle qualities we assign to ourselves. No more T-Bones! No more brisket! No more ribs! Dump the hamburger and chicken tenders. Bring on the okra, peas, bread and broccoli.

Because I am not an outgoing person I have never dined at the home of those that were not either family or close friends, but if invited to the home of a business associate or the like and thought for a minute they could be vegetarian, I'd probably grab a 'burger on the way home that night. As long as I didn't get speeches about eating dead animals from my hosts, I would find no fault in their dietary choice.

Erich Benz - Denton

Reading some of the listeners comments, I find it hard to believe they are giving Allan such a hard time over simply giving his point of view on eating meat. And, let me say I do eat meat.

Where does this come from? Especially from a political analyst. Of course, because of his title and the subject, I did read it all and was interested in what he wrote. But hamburger or chopped flesh with fat, I'll have mine with fries. Thanks for the News and Views,

While I applaud Mr. Saxe decision to become a vegetarian, I find his attack on his fellow human beings a little disconcerting. As a person who believes and relies on the Bible as a source of truth, and as a partial reason for being a vegetarian, to blatantly attack flesh eaters and say that it demeans all of us is a bit of a stretch. Going to the Biblical book of Genesis, we read there that before the flood, the eating of flesh was unknown. After the flood, Noah and his family were given parameters for the preparation of flesh foods, because for some time there was no other food source. God did allow the eating of flesh at that time to meet the need of the time, but certainly never expected the practice to continue. The nature of man and the addictive qualities of flesh foods did that. There are many things common to man that God has "allowed", but, as Jesus said when the Jews asked him about Moses giving them decrees of divorce, "because of the hardness of your hearts".

I would like to begin by saying that I am a meat eater. Always have been and always will be. There are a variety of reasons for me to be a meat eater.

One, it provides me a good source of nutrients, including protein. Second, I was made to be a meat-eater by our Creator. In my mouth, as in every other human's mouth, are teeth called canines. They are the teeth we were made with to rip and tear, what else…"MEAT". Dogs are not vegetarians and neither are cats, but these animals have these teeth, like we do ours, not to their extreme, but nonetheless we have them. That means we were made to be a meat-eater, "predator" if you will.

That is why most nutritionists agree we need some meat in our diets, small portions, and not to an extreme.

Yes, we also need our vegetables, too, as these also provide necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need. So, Mr. Saxe, you are entitled to your views, but in the broad scheme of things, I think we are to be a meat eater. That is what I will continue to be.

Larry Shinpaugh
Waxahachie

I have met Mr. Saxe a few times at the Tarrant County College SE campus where I attend classes and have heard him on the radio several times and have always had a great deal of respect for him. However, this is just too much to take and has caused me to re-evaluate my opinion of him. His comments about vegetarians being healthier is because most people just do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. You can be a meat eater and still be healthy.

I also hope Mr. Saxe has thrown away all of his leather shoes, gloves, leather furniture, and sold his car if it had a leather interior. I hope he does not use butter while cooking, cream in his coffee or eat ice cream or drink milk. I would be curious to know his views on testing drugs and medical procedures on animals. I also hope for his sake he never needs a pace-maker, uses any type of trans-dermal patch because both of these products were perfected using animal testing as were most medications that a person will take.

Mr. Saxe, I hope you realize the scope of the lifestyle you have chosen and research any product you currently use or will purchase. You will be amazed at how valuable animals are in human existence, and not just as a food source.

Brian Thompson
Arlington

Great article! Thank you, Mr. Saxe, for sharing your views on vegetarianism. It seems to have struck a nerve with some of this station's listeners. Hopefully, they will think twice at what they are filling their (and their family's) bodies with.

I wanted to thank you for your column and would like to address some of the ignorant statements that have been posted in response to it. People can use the bible to justify anything, whether it is white power or anti-racism, slavery or the lack of, animal exploitation or veganism.

Although I could argue that the bible says we should not eat meat, I don't believe the bible should be brought into political issues. Animals feel pain and emotions. I know this because I see my dog showing several emotions including fear, happiness, jealousy, etc. Even if they did not have emotions, it is undeniable that animals can suffer and feel pain just as we do. To cause suffering to animals for the sake of appetite is cruel. As for eating plants, yes, they provide oxygen for all of us, that is one of the major reasons why we shouldn't eat meat. Producing meat uses an average of 10 times the amount of land and plants as directly eating the crops ourselves. If you eat meat and consider yourself an environmentalist, you are being very hypocritical and you should look into the environmental devastation meat production causes (energy and water use, sewage, forest destruction). Research has shown that we can not continue eating meat at our current rate or we will literally destroy the earth. As far as plants having feelings, so far research has not discovered that plants feel any pain. They do not have a nervous system. If they felt pain, they wouldn't be stuck in the ground, unable to escape predators. That wouldn't make any sense whatsoever. If one day it is discovered that plants did indeed feel pain (which I highly doubt), a person would still be causing far less suffering being vegetarian because they would be consuming more plants (and animals) by eating meat than directly eating plant derived foods. As for the health issue, all nutritional requirements can be met through a vegan diet.

Many people think protein, iron, calcium, and B12 are absent in a vegan diet. Not true. Protein is found in beans and nuts. Spinach is rich in iron and calcium. B12 is found in mushrooms, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, barley grass, sea vegetables, and even beer. Animals exist for their own reasons, they were not put here for humans, just as blacks were not put here for whites, and women were not put here for men. Should the "personal choice" to own slaves not have been taken away? Should the "personal choice" to consider women property not have been taken away? The time has come to give respect to those we have enslaved, abused, and killed because they have no voice and they cannot fight back. The way animals are treated in our society is worse than the way we treat the most violent criminals. The sad part is is that these animals are completely innocent. They have never done anything to us and we treat them this way. Why? Because they can't speak for themselves and they have no chance fighting back. We kill deer and other "problem" animals but what we fail to remember is that they were here before we were. We have invaded THEIR territory. There won't be all of the excess animals people think there would be if everyone went vegetarian, because people are gradually converting to vegetarianism, so *gradually* people will stop breeding these animals, and those remaining animals that cannot survive in the wild can be placed in sanctuaries where they can live out the remainder of their lives happily and free of unnecessary suffering.

As "radical" or "extreme" as it may sound, I believe that everyone has the right to live however they wish AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT HARM OTHERS. I don't think eating meat should be a personal choice, just as I don't think that killing or torturing a person or animal for any other reason should be a personal choice. People should learn to respect ALL life. At one time people only respected the life of their own race. Now people only respect the life of their own species.

Listening to Allan whine just reinforces what a pansy society we've become. So sterile are people's thoughts that they don't associate meat with animals. It wasn't that long ago that if you wanted meat on the table in the evening, you went out and killed it that morning.

Seeing blood causing him to turn vegetarian is lame, as any true Christian reads about the animals' place to feed us on this earth. Being an American gives him the choice to eat what he wants, but don't give excuses, especially irrelevant excuses.

And don't try to impose your standards on me. I dislike WBAP giving him this forum to spread propaganda. As a political analyst, I'll listen to his views and analysis and chose to agree or disagree. I have no quarrel with that.

I am a hunter, a meat eater and a great cook. I have no problem eating something called chopped flesh or any of the other terms you used in your article. I find it hard to believe that a man can't get past the thought of a cute little lamb when eating a lamb chop or a deer-eyed doe when eating chicken-fried backstrap.

I think it is good that someone in mainstream media open up about the vegetarian/vegan issue. A lot of people tend to believe that it is their god given right to eat these animals on this planet. One man was quoted as saying "if the lions, tigers, and other animals get to enjoy them then why shouldn't we?" But people don't look further into what they are eating. Not only is it inhumane to eat these animals, but it is unhealthy for the consumer.

The chickens that some of you eat are put into cages with many other chickens not allowing each chicken to have full mobility. They are kept medicated by hormones in order to produce a more plump chicken making it more economically efficient for the agricultural farmer, painful for the chicken, and poisonous to you the consumer. Pigs are done the same way. Birds have their beaks cut off to keep from pecking each other. This process is done by a hot knife causing pain for weeks at a time. Another favorite dinner for Americans is the Steak. That probably has a few mouth's watering. Well, enjoy more hormones. When you wash it down with milk again enjoy more hormones along with the fact that you are basically drinking mucous. Humans are one if not the only ones who drink milk after infancy. Which is unnatural don't you think? If it doesn't come from your mother do you need it? Not to mention that the proteins in milk block the calcium to your bones. Defeating the purpose of drinking it in the first place for a lot of people. The meat production industry also does harm to the environment. By cutting down more forestry for these animals to graze, trees which produce I think 90% of the worlds oxygen(?) no longer thrive and therefore create a serious environmental hazard to us all. I will not make this a book, but urge you the readers to make an intelligent conscious decision to think about what you are consuming. Which is a life. A life in the cycle of our earth, in our solar system, etc. Look at these animals and see that they too have personality. It may not be some complex personality, but they deserve to live just as much as you do.

Look at your teeth. Most people are not capable of ripping flesh with their canines because most canines are starting to round. Humans have to hunt with weapons because we are not adapted to hunt prey with our bodies. Our digestive tracts are longer and carnivorous animals tracts are short because we take longer to absorb nutrients. Meat leaves an unhealthy soot in your stomach. I could go on and on. To all the people that say if the animal had a chance he wouldn't take another glance he'd eat you up. Then why is it most animals that are consumed are herbivores? With the exception of a few. It was Ghandi that said and this is broken up, "How a society treats their animals reflects on how that society is." That is not exact, but think about it. And think about the alternatives of eating meat. There are wonderful and exciting dishes to eat. And if you still want that taste of meat, then eat fake meat it is much healthier for you. THINK!!!!

This is kind of like one of those religious groups that send individuals out to peoples homes to try and convert them to their religion. I believe everyone is entitled to worship as they see fit, but don't go around trying to peddle your beliefs on others. And why stop with man? Why not extend your quest to convert all creatures to a non-meat eating religion? Maybe by going to the bush to train lions to eat grass or crocodiles to dine on algae? Even some monkeys eat meat, other monkeys. If you can persuade the grizzly and wolf to pass up a meal of beef or venison for berries or johnson grass then I might consider converting to vegetarianism. Until that day arrives though I think I will continue to fill the air in my yard with the aroma of pork (dead pig), chicken (dead yard bird), beef (dead cow), and assorted other meats and fish (dead animals) on the weekends. Why should the lions, tigers, bears, wolves, sharks etc. be the only creatures on the planet to enjoy fresh MEAT and FISH. At least we don't eat it while it is still alive like they do.

Vegetarianism appeals more and more to me. Just by looking at how animals are being raised and how many diseases they has convinced me that it cannot be the best and nutritious diet. I will probably never be 100% vegetarian - but I sure do feel much better when I each vegetables, fruits and grains. Try it, and you might agree :o)

This is from one of those "Sissy Yankees." I wasn't going to respond to this column and was just grinning at it, knowing your penchant for trying to rile people to get them to think. But, when you made the claim today, on the air, that you were from OK and not a "Sissy Yankee," it ceased being funny. The statement was uncalled for.

As for the actual "meat" of the column, I have used the terms flesh, meat, carcass, etc for years and have enjoyed every ounce of flesh, torn or otherwise, that I have consumed and will continue to do so. I am an Omnivore and I happen to enjoy immensely the consumption of animal flesh. I like to see the blood on steak wrappings telling me the meat has been freshly cut. I salivate to see the blood oozing to the top of meat as it sizzles on the grill. But, not too much, because then it is wasted and there won't be as much for me.

The cow in the meadow is simply dinner on the hoof. Whether they feel pain, pleasure, fear or anything else is meaningless to me. An animal exists to be eaten, to provide sustenance for those above it on the food chain. The supremacy of the Human species on that chain is a great joy to me and I celebrate it. If I choose to eat certain animals and not others, that is my choice. I guarantee that if I am starving, Fido won't be far from my supper plate.

If you want to be a vegetarian, fine. That's your choice. Keep it that way. Don't dare to dictate to me how I should choose.

I won't throw out any excuses; I like meat. Whether it's top sirloin, done medium rare or the muscle tissue from a young castrated bull, seared over a fire, I'll take it, eat it and be happy. For centuries, it's been a mark of prosperity to eat meat and for good reason. A diet supplemented by meat made it easier for primitive people to survive... if you had some meat in your diet, less people died, more babies lived and your people prospered. A purely vegan diet lead to less body reserves, higher infant mortality and some diseases. Today, that can be countered with supplements and vitamins, making the vegan lifestyle a viable choice (even if every vegan I've ever seen has been thin and looked malnourished). But it is, and should be a choice. Some people are Muslim, some Christian, some Jewish. Some are Vegan... in my opinion, their loss, but their choice. I choose to be a carnivore, thank you.

First off, I would like to say that I don't think Allan is nuts, but I do disagree with him based on the following. In the interest of saving our planet, I will continue to eat meats (mainly from cows) as the gases emitted from these animals is reported to be the number one factor causing harm to the ozone. Plants, on the other hand, emit oxygen that is necessary for humans to breathe. Stand up good citizens of the U.S.A. and the Earth and Save Our Planet! "Eat More Meat-Save the Ozone", that will be my battle cry.

Re: Vegans
This falls under the heading of personal choice. Let's be civilized. You don't tell me what I should eat. I won't tell you what beverages you should drink and how much, or what hair color you should use or how you should part your hair. Peace.

Personal choices should be kept to ourselves lest we be labeled a fool. One stupid campaign now wipes out all good campaigns you've championed.

Do you wear plastic shoes and belts? I certainly hope that you haven't killed one of your good buddies so as to walk on him.

Don't you think plants feel pain? They scream whenever they are torn out of the earth. Why stop at not eating meat? Why not stop eating any living thing. They have their rights too.

Wayne Peterson

I appreciate Saxe's view, and understand his newfound (relatively) passions on behalf of animals. I love non-animal related foods as well. However...

Some (many) of us are a bit more pragmatic than he. I, for one, don't see cows, pigs, chickens, etc... as cute little pseudo-pets that endure cognizant pain & suffering just so we can enjoy a good BBQ. They exist in their current numbers today solely due to the fact that we use them (at nearly 100% efficiency) to make our lives better and more enjoyable. "But they are raised solely to be killed..." True, but I also know firsthand that most "consumptive" animals such as cows "enjoy" a very leisurely ¯ even pampered ¯ life before being dispatched quickly to fulfill their ultimate purpose for living in the first place.

Anthropomorphism creates quite a dilemma for the animal rights / vegans. On one hand, they deeply abhor any consumptive use of any animal. On the other hand, they fail to see that the 100% organic cotton shirt & socks they are wearing were grown in a beautiful cotton field.... which used to be virgin hardwood bottomland that was home to countless species of birds, fish and large animals such as deer, bear, wolf, etc... Every time the exterminator comes over to "spray" their houses (or to spray fields of vegetables), what do they think happens to the insects who are on the receiving end (even "organic" pesticides, by their nature & purpose, kill pests)? The predictable hypocrisy is perhaps best exposed when they have their children vaccinated against polio, measles, mumps, flu, etc., etc. etc. These are all life-saving medications that were derived from the use of animals in the lab. And the list goes on, and on, and on. Should we stop saving millions of lives in Africa, for example, by withdrawing yellow fever vaccines that were developed using animals? Or should we jeopardize the likelihood for developing cures for Alzheimer's, cancer and countless other terminal diseases because the research involves experimenting (yes, killing) lab animals? Is killing an animal for one reason acceptable, while other reasons are not? Where is the line drawn, and who draws it?

Saxe did say, to his credit, that he knows there is no such thing as Utopian world; a perfect vegetarian. True. I others might say there is no such thing as a perfect carnivore. If he wants to embark on his own crusade to convert friends to vegetarianism, that's great. But, like so many (on both sides of the argument), he needs to be careful not to demean the other side in the process in order to make his argument look better.

And don't even get me started on hunting...

Murray Stacy
Flower Mound

Everyone has a right to their own opinions, even if they invite ridicule from the vast majority. While I personally disagree with his opinion (so much so that I urge him to seek professional counseling concerning his desire to ascribe human characteristics to other species), I would fight and die for his right to have it and express it. The concern here is the forum being provided him to seek converts to his views. Why would WBAP provide time and space for such extremism? Further, even if WBAP's agreement with Mr. Saxe concerning the content of his columns is such that it has no control over what is or is not published, shouldn't WBAP be concerned about it's own role in promoting the spread of such extreme views? The views expressed by Mr. Saxe attempts to equate animals with humans. Why not let someone else professing their Nazi beliefs, where people are reduced to the level of animals. In my mind, one view is just as extreme as the other.

If WBAP would not want to be associated with someone expressing Nazi beliefs and trying to win over converts, why then would you allow Mr. Saxe to express his views on the consumption of animals and try to win converts for his views?

Paul Ramsey
Dallas

If God had not intended for us to eat steaks, hamburgers, and spare ribs, then He would not have made them taste so good!!

Ralph Kunkel
Dallas

Give me a break. I kept waiting for a punch line but it never came.
Randy Pharis
Keller

I suppose you would like to see the critters overpopulate and starve or even worse to start displacing humans, on this earth.......We know without a doubt that in areas where deer are not hunted, they weaken and starve due to lack of food. Are you going to suggest that the early Christians were vegetarians? Do you think Christ did not eat meat???

Jack Crane
Waco

I just read one of the most ridiculous commentaries I have ever seen...

Mr. Saxe can live on sawdust and tofu all he wants, it's no skin off my nose one way or the other. However, I have just finished a fine dinner of venison, taken from my own acreage, fresh vegetables from my own garden, and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I will have bacon, or hog meat, for breakfast in the morning, along with my eggs.

No, Mr. Saxe, animals are here for the eating and that is why I raise them. As a matter of fact, several of my calves are going to the sale barn this Friday. I hope you enjoy your bean curd and alfalfa while I dine on the filet mignon.

Happy burping,
Pat Crowley
Dublin

RE: Allan Saxe - Although his opinion is valid as an opinion, does not take into account the great diversity of life and the myriad ways it expresses its self. Several studies have found that chemical changes occur when plants are threatened or attacked. It is plain that plant and fungal life have gone to great lengths to protect and preserve their own lives through many different methods. For vegetarians to hold their ethical standards higher because they don't eat things with eyes and vocal cords is to deny the rightful place of flora as the central basis of all life. As has been the case throughout history, ethics pales in the face of starvation - and we can justify anything, can't we.

I know many people who raise flowers and herbs in their homes who will swear that a calming voice, quiet music, and genuine care help their plants become healthier and, well, happier. One thing I do know, he better keep him plant-eating teeth off of my wife's plants - she'll BBQ him up for hurting her beloved plants.

One of my favorite sayings is, "If God didn't want us to eat His furry little creatures, He wouldn't have made them out of meat!"

Mickey Carson
Denton

Allen,

I disagree strongly with your opinion. But I am committed to your right to express it. You have the right even to advocate your position and work to convince others.

However, I do have a question: upon what basis do you bring in morality? Upon what do you base your ethics? Naturalism/Materialism/Humanism? If so, survival of the fittest is the rule. If evolution, etc. is how we got here, then there is no ultimate moral ground and there are no moral absolutes (and yes I realize "no moral absolutes" is itself an absolute). Ethics reduces to opinion, and your views have no greater standing than mine. It will ultimately reduce to force-who has the might to enforce their view of what ought to be done.

If you base your ethics on the Judeo-Christian tradition, there is no moral prohibition against eating flesh (call it what you will, I will continue to eat it). I have heard the vegetarian arguments from Genesis 9, and they do not carry water.

Based on Buddhist principles? You would be on firmer ground, but then we will need to begin an argument of comparative religion...

I'll stop there. Basically my point is this: you make your own decisions about whether or not to eat flesh, but please allow me to do the same. Do not impose your opinion on me and try to shame me into feeling guilty for disagreeing with you. I'll leave the argument about the scientific merits and healthiness of vegetarianism for another day.

Thank you,
Bryan Mills
Benbrook

Mr. Saxe:

Interesting point of view, but inconsistent. You find yourself compelled to write a column aimed at protecting the lives of innocent animals from the salivations of the less informed or less caring/moral/etc. masses. I can only infer from your apparent continued functioning that you are alive, and hence must eat something. So further, I infer that you have no problems eating plants or portions thereof. So finally, I can surmise that you draw a distinction between plant life and animal life. Why? Are you simply discriminating between organisms based on the complexity of their design?

Is a plant not a living entity as much as a pig? Surely plant life is every bit as important to the earth's future as animals. Do you choose not to eat only those organisms that can look you back in the eye? Perhaps it is based on the number of chromosomes (in which case you must ask "is cannibalism in Arkansas acceptable?"). Why is animal life more sacred than plant life?

Where and why do you draw the line? And, why do vegetarians feel compelled to push all of the rest to their point of view? So confusing and so difficult. All of this thinking is making me hungry, so I am left to ponder the imponderable - is there any plant or animal products in a pop-tart?

B. Kent Hill
Richardson

Just finished reading Allan Saxe's piece on eating meat. My first thought is here is one more kook out with an axe to grind, but my second thought is why am I putting up with it. It is my opinion that the college teaching environment seems to attract more than it's share of unstable characters who are bad influences on easily-influenced young people. Allan seems to be just one more tainted vegetarian potato in that sack.

I would say he should be fired, but that is not the root cause of the problem. The manager at WBAP who hired him is the problem and should be making his daily bread selling hot dogs off of a push-cart rather than hiring people who annoy me. Hope all your steak and bar-b-que houses who advertise on WBAP read Allen's column!

Fred Davis
Mesquite (as in Mesquite wood grilled medium-well)
UTA Class of 64

Well Allan, I guess I kind of agree with you, however I'll still eat meat. I have always been told not to eat an animal unless it has split hooves. I currently eat more veggies than meat. Now I'll let you in on one. Out of the big three meat staples in our diets beef, pork and chicken only pigs could actually live in the wild. They wouldn't even exist if they weren't in demand. Are you even against eating fish?

I am an avid hunter and I have seen everything from deer starving to people getting attacked by animals.

In one last statement...when we have urban sprawl we drive out the animals and kill the predators...that leaves one thing to do...harvest.

Thanks for reading,
Kelly Bybee
Glen Rose

Allan, you just made me very hungry by listing all those wonderful meat dishes. I gotta ask,.....why did our creator give us these incisors. I can't spell that but you know I mean FANGS!! I will say however, you don't seem to have any in your photo with the column. Anyway I was always taught that they were for tearing, yep you guessed it, meat. Love ya anyway and hear your every morning while preparing for work.

David Clark
Irving

Allan I find this column SICK ! Examine your own teeth and explain why you have them !

Willard Brooks
Granbury

Allan... I guess from this article that you are another "animal rights whacko". If you will do a little research in the bible, you will find that all of the animals on earth are here on this earth to be subject to man, for our use as pets, food, clothing, labor, etc. You sound as if animals have souls, or have the brains to make intelligence decisions. Sorry Allan, but I think you are a cup and saucer shy of a full place setting.

Think about it!
Ted Raymond, Sr
Aledo

As a Political Analyst you make a poor crusader for vegetarianism. As a matter of science, please include the proper combination of vegetables that will make up for the proteins that naturally occur in meat products. Be careful here, amino acids might trip you up. God gave us dominion, not Bambi. Also, if you are not careful, you may be eaten by one of your "fellow creatures".