Letter to the Editor
by Nettie Schwager

Last week’s Corvallis Gazette-Times (Sept 26th) had an article about OSU cafeterias offering options such as vegan and vegetarian dishes in response to growing demand. OSU is not alone. This is happening in schools across the nation as more people are choosing to eliminate or reduce consumption of animals. In fact, the University of North Texas near Dallas – that’s right Texas – has opened a completely vegan cafeteria called “Mean Greens.”

More people are learning the truth about the suffering that animals endure behind closed doors. It’s an issue that is getting on the radar. As a concerned person, I recently read a thought provoking article discussing how eating animals is not an all or nothing dichotomy—you care or don’t care, you’re vegan or not vegan.

The fact is that almost all of us do care. A Gallup poll found that 96% of Americans oppose cruelty to animals (I wonder about the other 4% ) and virtually everyone dislikes the cruelty of factory farming.

Since just about all of us care, we can make a difference by eating less animal products. It’s not an all or nothing choice; when we reduce our consumption of animals, we are opposing cruelty, reducing suffering, and helping animals—not to mention the many other pluses such as helping the environment and our own health. With simple choices each of us has the power to bring more compassion to the world.

Nettie Schwager
Corvallis OR