Serge Nesbitt, Sartell
Last week, The Washington Post published a major expose of the U.S. dairy industry, concluding that mega dairies scam consumers into paying extra for “organic” milk that isn’t. The timing, a few days before Mother’s Day, could not be more appropriate. Dairy cows, world-wide symbols of motherhood, never get to see or nurture their babies.
The newborn calves are torn from their mothers at birth and turned into veal cutlets so the dairy industry can sell their milk. The distraught mothers bellow for days, hoping in vain for their babies’ return. Instead, they are chained on a concrete warehouse floor, milked by machines, then impregnated artificially to renew the pregnancy and keep the milk flowing. When their production drops, around four years of age, they are ground into hamburger.
This Mother’s Day, let’s all honor motherhood and our natural compassion for animals by rejecting the dairy industry’s cruelty. Let’s replace cow’s milk and its products, laden with cholesterol, saturated fats, hormones and antibiotics. Let’s choose delicious, healthful, cruelty-free plant-based milk, cheese and ice cream products offered at our grocery store.
