Editor,
Remember the lyrics “Food, glorious food, that’s what we live for?”
But we don’t want anyone to die for it… or do we? Americans love our burgers, steaks and pork chops. The idea of a day without meat is disturbing.
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to know that meat processing employees are already sick, and many have died due to unsafe working conditions.
We can help by a mere temporary change of our menu. Or would we rather people die for our pot roast dinner? There are alternatives: mac and cheese, salad with chickpeas, chili with beans, Beyond Burger, nuts and nut butters, beans-rice-cheese burritos, veggie pizza.
Americans have risen to the call for sacrifice during a national crisis. We have faced meat shortages before. During World War II, families changed eating habits to help the war effort. Meat was less available. Families grew Victory Gardens. Beans and rice, dairy, eggs and vegetables graced their tables and meat only an occasional offering.
We can make the sacrifice in coronavirus times. Or will history show that we let other Americans die so that we could almighty burger? Who knows, we might even lose 10 pounds and be healthier.
Jennifer Veblen