Eating animals

Dear Jonathan Safran Foer

My name is Isabel, I am Spanish even if I live now in Italy.

I read yr. book. I like it very much. It didn't convince me of the kind of diet I have to follow since I was already convinced ,  I became vegetarian in 1983.

I would like to tell you my feelings on yr. book and my experience on this purpose .

When I was child and teen (in Spain) my home was at only 500 meters of  Local abattoir.

All kind of big animals were killed there:  sheeps, cows, pigs.

I am talking about the end of sixties and all seventies. My home town  Zaragoza, at that time wasn't a very big city and frequently you could see the shepherd  with his flock to arrive there walking !!! it was nice .

However,  when you were just passing by there you could hear how animals cried, ...  when you were just passing by there you could felt a terrible smell of death… and when you were  just passing by there you could see animal hanged, skinned and blood dripping.

This abattoir was  composed  by 3 porch buildings. In the middle  there was a patio.  Inside those porch there were many hooks where dead animals were hanged for dripping.

Practically during about 20 years, I everyday saw, hear and smelled that horrible situation, that nightmare !

At the beginning,  when I was child I couldn't  understand which was the point.

At home we ate meat, I liked it… even if I preferred fish.

Then in my youth,  I understood and in 1983 I became vegetarian.

1^st I stopped to eat fresh meat, then stopped to eat ham or salami or any other cold meat….., then I understood and also fishes could feel pain and I stopped to eat fish.

 I don't eat anything food which  proceeds  from killed animals.

Your book  makes me dubious about the opportunity to stop also with eggs and cheeses. I buy only ORGANIC ones but I understood that it cannot guarantee animal life style.  Even if I think that here in Italy is less worse than the situation in the States., is it ?

I am always looking for natural and traditional systems.  Now, here in Italy  ZERO KMS. Markets are very common . I usually buy eggs and cheeses there, but not always.

I  thank you because I hope that persons who already  read or will read yr. book can understand the gravity of this situation and they do something to protect and preserve animals rights.

Bye  . Isabel

 
P.S. I don't remember when abattoir stopped its activity. Now, these 3 buildings are a Cultural center  called SALVADOR ALLENDE !!!