Open Forum

The tragic developments of the past two months have heightened our appreciation for life, health and liberty. Not just ours, but also those of strangers in distant lands. Millions of people across the U.S. are expanding this concept to other sentient beings. They are celebrating this special Thanksgiving by replacing a tortured, dead bird on their dinner table with a guilt-free, wholesome bounty of the earth: vegetables, fruits and grains.

Thanksgiving is about liberty, joy and life. But, the 340 million turkeys raised in the U.S. each year for our holiday tables experience none of these. They are forced to breathe toxic fumes in crowded sheds, as their beaks and toes are cut off to reduce damage from stress-induced aggression. After 16 weeks of agony, they are hung by their legs on a conveyer belt and beheaded by an electric saw while fully conscious.

Thanksgiving is about good health. But turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol, saturated fats, hormones, antibiotics and deadly pathogens like Campylobacter.

Thanksgiving is about sharing. But the grain fed to turkeys denies lifesaving foodstuffs to millions of starving people. Thanksgiving is about a bountiful harvest, but raising grain for turkeys involves depletion of topsoil and groundwater essential to a good harvest.

On this special occasion, let us reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Let us replace the carcass of an innocent animal in the center of our holiday dinner table with wholesome dishes prepared from the bounty of our harvest: grains, vegetables and fruits. Let us replace misery, disease and death with joy, good health and life!

Brad Driscoll

Brainerd

Disheartened

As residents of Brainerd for several years, we have chosen to make most of our purchases locally. Our home is filled with furniture/appliances from a downtown merchant.

To our dismay a bed set that we purchased three years ago, proved to be defective. We felt confident that the matter would be resolved quickly as we have a 20 year manufacturer's warranty.

We learned that in order for our bed to be replaced we would have to return it to Indiana for a cost of $475.00. This is three-fourths the cost of the original purchase price. The merchant offered to help us prepare the bed for its return, but said they could not do anything else. This is a lose/lose situation.

It has been disheartening to discover that after years of business with this merchant, we have to accept this unprofessional response. We have learned much about warranties from this experience and have lost faith in supporting a local merchant who appears more concerned about profit than the loyalty of good customers.

Jill and Bob Backberg

Brainerd