Iowa meat industry poses problems

'Meat producers” - no doubt including many of the same people who brought you Steve King - 'cry foul on ‘Meatless Monday,'” screams a Feb. 23 headline. Such a fuss! In fact, an earlier petulant outburst from Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has been outdoing himself lately, aside, 'Meatless Mondays” have been implemented at institutions nationwide, with great success.

Industrialized livestock production is environmentally calamitous, and Iowa, with its 'ag-gag” law (now under legal challenge) has become a 'black site” for animal abuse. Congratulations. (According to the late great Mahatma Gandhi: 'The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Amen to that.)

Red meat in general, and processed meats in particular, are known carcinogens. Yet have you noticed that meat is now showing up in recipes where it has no business being, like bruschetta? A conspiracy, perhaps?

But don't take my word for all this. Pay attention. Do some research.

It would be lovely if farmers would grow real food instead of continuing to subject us to the disastrous CAFO/monoculture regime now in play. A girl can dream.

Finally, if California gets one electoral vote per nearly three-quarters of a million people, while Wyoming scores one for barely a quarter of that number, we have a serious disenfranchisement problem.

Cindy Adhikari

Cedar Rapids