Laura Paskus’ article on the traveling butchering unit in Taos seemed very insensitive.

“Beginning this spring, cattle, pigs, lamb, goats, even bison, will trot up the ramp leading into the back of the Mobile Matanza, where they’ll be met by …” This line is complemented by a picture of a man sharpening a large knife. And there are other turns of phrase that makes the whole butchering process sound like all participants are engaged in a play date.

However, if you’ve ever seen Peaceable Kingdom, or witnessed animals being led to slaughter, you’ll know that they don’t want to die any more than we would under the same circumstances. And we’re informed that Knox is capable of wrestling any animal reluctant to go to slaughter. Was there ever an animal in the history of slaughter that wasn’t reluctant? We owe these animals that involuntarily give up their lives for us more respect than was contained in that glib article.

Carolyn Bills
Sedona, Arizona