Upon reading the Kernel on Thursday, I felt compelled to respond to the content of Ryan Huling’s letter regarding animal slaughter. I have witnessed animal slaughter personally and am familiar with the rules and regulations surrounding the process. Every animal that is slaughtered in the U.S. must be rendered insensible to pain prior to slaughter in accordance with USDA regulations that mandate humane slaughter. The animal is not conscious when the skin is removed and dismembered, regardless of what the PETA propaganda will say.

Again, as someone who has been personally involved in the slaughter of animals for food, I can state that the process is done with care to make sure that animals are not tortured or experience any undue pain. There is a USDA inspector on hand to make sure that the process is humane and the end result is safe for human consumption.

I personally have no issue with people choosing to be vegetarian (my brother happens to be one). As for the alleged link of meat consumption to cancer, he may be referring to a study published in the Archives of Internal medicine that links the consumption of excessive amounts of processed and red meat with some types of cancer. The study does not however advocate against the consumption of meat and even found an inverse correlation with consumption of white meat. Meat eaten in moderation can form the basis for a balanced diet and its consumption should not be construed as a tacit support of animal cruelty. Animal cruelty in the meat industry is not as prevalent as Huling implied, so do not villanize an entire industry on the basis of a few isolated cases.

Jacob Hulker

agriculture economics senior