Consumer power

In Jeremy Beckman's Aug. 4 letter to the editor ("Livestock abuse"), he stated that he cut animal cruelty out of his diet by going vegan. However, there is another way to eliminate animal cruelty from your diet.

Buy grass-fed beef from small ranches, humanely-raised pork and chicken, and milk products from cows not treated with the growth hormone rBST. Also, don't eat these products at restaurants unless the restaurant expressly states that the meat comes from humanely-treated animals.

Each consumer has buying power to improve an animal's life. You may pay a bit more, but at the very least you are supporting the small ranchers and farmers who humanely raise their animals. An added benefit is that these beef, pork, chicken and milk products taste a lot better, too.

Melanie Florence

Ivins