Thank you for Judy Vorreuter's thoughtful piece, “Many reasons to go vegetarian” (June 2).

Indeed, as young children, we often don't make the connection between the lump of protein on our plate and the life of a once-breathing animal. Adding to this, the meat industry goes out of its way to conceal the realities of modern animal agriculture.

Kids are given coloring books of Old MacDonald's Farm, not of egg-laying hens having parts of their beaks seared off with a hot metal blade, nor of pregnant sows so confined in their restrictive crates that they can't even turn around.

Fortunately, we don't have to mislead our children and ourselves over this matter.

Delicious and hearty vegetarian foods now dot mainstream supermarket aisles in abundance.

Eating vegetarian no longer means giving up our favorite tastes; it simply means opting for the cruelty-free versions of our favorite tastes.

Whether we decide to go vegetarian, vegan, or simply choose more vegetarian meals, we can all help minimize the amount of suffering in the world each time we eat with compassion.

For a free vegetarian starter guide, including recipes and nutritional information, please visit veganoutreach.org.

Jon Camp

Takoma Park, Md.

Camp is outreach coordinator at Vegan Outreach.