Thanksgiving food for thought

I am grateful for Neil Steinberg’s review of philosopher Peter Singer’s new book, "Consider the Turkey." Although I disagree with pretty much every opinion Steinberg has offered, his piece exposed readers to a subject that I believe needs more attention.

Growing up in Edgewater and Rogers Park in the 1950s and 1960s, we had a turkey on the table every Thanksgiving and a Sun-Times in the house every day.

Those were simpler times, and we never once questioned where our food came from. Over the years more information about food production, and especially animal agriculture, has come into view. Much of it stems from the work of Singer, and for me, his seminal book, "Animal Liberation," was very influential.

If someone had told me decades ago I would one day stop eating animal products, I would have suggested they see a psychiatrist. Yet we live, we learn, and we grow.

When I became aware of the egregious abuses inflicted upon animals in factory farms and slaughterhouses, I asked myself the simple question: If I wouldn’t abuse an animal, how can I remain comfortable paying others to do it for me? In the late 1980s, when I was in my late 30s, I became a vegan and have never looked back.

Now in my mid-70s, I have lived almost half my life this way. It was never a sacrifice, and these days, with the explosion of alternative products available, it is easier than ever. Besides eliminating animal suffering, it is better for the environment as well as human health.

I hope some people will read Singer’s new book or otherwise explore the issues (there are plenty of videos of factory farming and slaughterhouses online) and view their food choices in a different light.

Stewart David, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Class lessons

Natalie Moore’s latest column, “Let’s talk about the myth of ‘working class’ voters for Trump,” ignores one glaring statistic: According to Washington Post exit polls, Trump had a 14-point advantage nationally among voters without a college degree.

There are many ways to define "working class," but I think degree attainment is a fair one.

As a Kamala Harris voter and former Barack Obama organizer, I don’t like this statistic one bit.

And yet, if we want to avoid descending into Trumpian delusions, we must confront this inconvenient truth: Democrats cannot credibly claim to be the party of the working class at this moment.

Mickey Muldoon, Near West Side

Taking my wife’s Trump take

Will Donald Trump solve the problems he identified during his campaign? Columnist S.E. Cupp last week said, "No."

That's her opinion. It happens to coincide with observations from the Chicago Center on Democracy at the University of Chicago, which in a recent email stated "Autocratic leaders are focused on cementing their own power by stifling competition and dissent, and only focus on solving real problems for their people to the extent that it serves the purpose of entrenching their own power."

My wife also shares the opinion that Trump is not interested in solving real problems, and I value her opinion more highly than that of a journalist or an academic expert.

Don Wedd, Hyde Park