Your Opinion: Forum offers spirited debate

Dear Editor:

I think that Bill Sutton has missed the point of the "incessant harangues" of Messrs. Haslag and Boldt and anyone else who has ever weighed in on a controversial issue more than once.

The opinion page allows its contributors to exercise their right to freedom of speech.

It's a pretty safe bet that if you express your opinion in a public venue someone is going to disagree. If you are tired of the spirited cross-fire that often takes place you don't have to read it, but the fact that you continue to do so exposes your affinity to the drama.

By the way, I used a thesaurus several times since "Dear Editor" only to prove a point. There in nothing wrong with using a thesaurus or a dictionary. It beats using the same old words or phrases over and over. If it prompts you to open a dictionary to unearth the meaning of an unfamiliar word, then guess what, you have learned a new work and added to your vocabulary. God knows most of the people in this country could use a better vocabulary.

I rather enjoy the tit-for-tat on a wide variety of subjects - religion, politics, the environment, life-styles and of course my favorite topic, animal agriculture.

I do not always agree with the eco-vegan views that are often expressed by Messrs. Timmon and Flemming because I am involved in animal agriculture and I know how wrong the "information" that they come up with is.

But then, it is their choice to frequent web sites that distort and disseminate for the sole purpose of vilifying the livestock industry. Since they have obviously never spent any appreciable time on a hog, dairy, cattle or poultry far, or in any processing facility, I will overlook their anemic attempts to enlighten the general public on a subject that they really know nothing about. Occasionally we agree on a point. I too was deeply saddened by the needless massacre of the exotic animals in Zanesville, Ohio. But then we part ways. Comparing that unfortunate event to the livestock industry is, well let's say, fatuous, to say the least. I promised the readers of this newspaper an indepth examination of agriculture (all forms) several months ago. It is still coming. Real research takes time.