From the annals of the letters to the editor that never ran in the print edition:

Dear Editor,

Thanksgiving should be a time for celebration, not cruelty, yet approximately 45 million turkeys—gentle birds who enjoy having their feathers stroked and gobbling along to their favorite tunes—are killed every year for Thanksgiving dinner.

Before they’re killed, turkeys spend several months packed so tightly in dark sheds that flapping a wing or stretching a leg is nearly impossible. To keep the birds from pecking each other in frustration, factory workers cut off a portion of their sensitive upper beaks with a hot blade—using no pain relievers.

At the slaughterhouse, turkeys are hung upside-down and their heads are dragged through an electrified “stunning tank,” which immobilizes them but does not kill them. Many birds dodge the tank and are still conscious when their throats are slit. If the birds’ throats are not “properly” slit, they’re scalded alive in the tanks of boiling water used for feather removal.

If this doesn’t sound like something to be thankful for, then have a humane holiday feast instead. Visit www.VegCooking.com for gourmet vegan recipes and product suggestions.

Sincerely,

Heather Moore

Research Specialist

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Norfolk, VA