A plea for humane treatment in Prop. 204

I am a Carefree resident who supports Proposition 204, the Humane Treatment of Farm

Animals Act. In your recent article on the proposition (‘Prop. 204 will require humane treatment of farm animals,’ Sept. 13, 2006), Jim Klinker, campaign chairman of Arizona Farmers and Ranchers, claims that we want to take meat off the table and force our vegetarian agenda down the consumer’s throat. This proposition is aimed at large industrial factory farms to end the cruel and inhumane use of gestation crates. The proposition does not call for the slaughter of animals to be stopped–just to treat them humanely while they are alive.

Republican and family cattle ranch owner Cheryl Naumann supports the initiative and believes that the best day in the life of crated animals is the day they are slaughtered. That is a sad commentary on how these animals live their lives. I feel ashamed to be part of the human race that inflicts this cruelty on animals. Why can’t we give these animals a basic level of decency? I’m voting for Prop. 204 to give veal calves and pregnant pigs enough space to turn around and stretch their limbs. I want to ask Desert Advocate readers to please vote for Prop. 204 with me.

Deborah Roth

Carefree