I AM sorry Jon Burgess seems to feel so threatened by the promotion of vegetarianism and veganism, as he expressed so strongly in his letter in last week’s Gazette.

He may well disagree with the sentiments expressed by VIVA (Vegetarian International Voices for Animals) as was being promoted in the exhibition mounted by them in Malvern’s tourist information centre, but that,I’m afraid Mr Burgess,is called democracy.

We live in a free country, where everybody is entitled to air their views and not everyone, Mr Burgess, either wishes to or enjoys eating meat.

If many members ofthe public were aware ofthe conditions endured by animals in abattoirs and slaughterhouses up and down the country, where many animals are notfully dead when they are dismembered or disembowelled, and are aware of what awaits them before they meettheir deaths,then perhaps they might have cause to thing again.

Of maybe they wouldn’t.

Butthe fact remains that many livestocks and poultry are not killed either quickly or humanely.

I seek notto pass judgement upon those who are meat-eaters, but merely to putthe record straightfor the benefit of those who may not have previously considered the issued involved.

OWEN MORGAN

Malvern

Correspondence on this issue has been closed.