It’s natural to eat meat, but make choices wisely

Dear Editor:

Americans eat too much meat! But ask any European and they will tell you that Americans eat too much everything! It’s not surprising that meat tops the list because meat is high in energy, easy to preserve and easy to harvest. Cows do nearly all the work for you! And once people have a taste for flesh, it’s hard to get them off of it, as any cannibal will attest.

Meat-eating is a common habit in the animal kingdom, and occasionally in the plant kingdom. People are animals and they have incisors, which are designed for rending flesh, so meat-eating is natural. Remember that you, too, will one day be someone’s lunch, or, at least, fertilizer.

But modern civilization has transformed every food into a commodity. Nearly everything we eat is grown, processed or slaughtered in a factory. And that is the problem. Factories need to make a profit. Money and not health is the primary concern of the food industry.

People need to stop eating whatever they are spoon-fed and choose their own food! You need vegetables, fruit and grains! You need to stop taking drugs to soothe your addled nerves and start eating right and exercising! You need to stop eating fast food! Make your own food, and choose all the ingredients yourself. Don’t have enough time to do that? Then stop eating so much!

And if meat becomes a portion of your diet, remember that you only need about half a handful of it in a day.

Ted Bowen

Post-undergraduate in mathematics

Society drives athletes to abuse, rely on steroids

Dear Editor:

So Congress has laid this country’s steroid epidemic firmly at the feet of professional baseball players. It’s hard to imagine more ridiculous “scape-goating” than this. Never mind that almost every kind of professional and amateur athletic competition has been impacted by “performance-enhancing” drugs or that many steroid users employ them strictly for cosmetic purposes. The problem is broader and deeper than that.

I always find that it’s best to look in the mirror before one starts pointing fingers. The media, for example, has been quick to jump on Congress’ bandwagon. After commentators on E.S.P.N. are finished blasting the players they make a living covering, they cut to commercial. The commercials promote pills that promise to make all of your dreams come true. There are the Viagra-like products making “Bob” a big man in the neighborhood, phony baldness cures, dramatic weight loss pills, as well prescriptions for heart burn, adult attention deficit disorder and toe nail fungus. Young people watching television are continually given the message that pills improve lives, indeed that they are the answer to all life’s problems. And the pharmaceutical companies are adept at subtly telling us that side effects should not be deterrents (the cure for high blood pressure can give you a heart attack — but don’t worry about it — it’s rare).

Should anyone be surprised when young people graduate from Gator-Aid, Power Bars and even Frosted Flakes (we are tigers, mighty, tigers!) as promoted performance enhancers to steroids? Isn’t it the government’s responsibility to regulate these commercials and these legal products? So should anyone be surprised that young people are confused about what is and is not a legitimate use of drugs?

Republicans were quick to condemn baseball players but avoided criticizing their most prominent new celebrity, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Arnold was the pioneer — the “George Washington” of steroids. Arnold built a political career on his celebrity, his celebrity on his muscles, and his muscles on steroids.

He has not only been elected governor, but some would like to rewrite the constitution so he can become president. What message does this send?

Doug Vicchiarelli

Middle childhood education alumnus