Conscious Choice Seattle:

June 2005 | Letters to the Editor

Meat of the Matter, Part 1

Dear Editors,

Make no mistake. Putting a stuffed cow on your May cover (“Take It or Cleave It”) doesn’t change the fact that eating meat is about slaughtering cows and other animals.

I did appreciate the prime-cut markings on the stuffed cow and even more so Silja Talvi’s story on “conscious meat-eating.” I stopped eating meat seven years ago and love Seattle’s range of vegetarian restaurants.

It was good to read there are some thoughtful chefs out there with some conscience about how cows and chickens are treated. But I must say that I stand firmly with Ingrid Newkirk of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She says in the article that “it is impossible to be humane, to really care about your body and still eat meat and dairy.” It has been true for me since 1998.

—Margaret Smolson, Internet

Meat of the Matter, Part 2

Dear Evergreen Monthly,

Memo to the editors: “Conscious” and “meat-eater” do not belong in the same sentence.

—Elizabeth Geisert, Internet

Meat of the Matter, Part 3

Dear Evergreen Monthly,

Nice touch on the May issue. After reading about one of my favorite Seattle restaurants, Café Flora, I turned to Nora West’s review of Cyber-Dogs. I have wondered about that vegetarian hot dog spot, and now I know to stop there next time. Who can resist a hot dog called the “Dead Beet”?

For the record, I eat meat but have increasingly enjoyed meatless meals thanks to places like Café Flora and, soon, Cyber-Dogs.

—Dave Kennedy, Internet

Seattle Love Affair

Dear Editor,

Your publication is topnotch. I have known for many years that I would move to the Pacific Northwest, and to Seattle in particular.

My first six months here have been a combination of exhilaration and trepidation. I did not know this city had grown so large. I could not ever have known the sense of “homecoming” I would feel upon arriving. There is a vibrancy here, a pioneering spirit, a largeness of place and people who are welcoming yet efficient in their jobs, plus direct and to the point.

I am awed by the grandeur of the towering evergreens, the quality of the air, the lavish fall of rain, the ferryboats, the flora and plants. People are “present” here when they talk to me. They make eye contact, they are down to earth and yet refined and articulate. The traffic is fierce, yet there is very, very little horn blowing of impatience.

The sun does come out, I have found, letting me take to the streets and parks to enjoy a walk with my little dog. In my life, I have lived or traveled through most of our large continent, and not ever have I experienced what I am experiencing here in the Seattle area. It is a joy to be here.

—Dove Flowers, Seattle

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