I am dismayed by the number of letters to the editor which are filled with blatant misconceptions about agriculture and the beef industry.

I am not supporting Jen Hirt’s article, either; I just want to clarify a few “facts” the replies tried to use to justify their response.

Americans DO eat more meat than what is considered to be healthy.

It is true that sweet corn and field corn are used for different purposes, but this mostly occurs in the U.S. Sweet corn has a lower starch content than the hybrid corn that is used for feed and by-products like ethanol.

In most developing countries like Ethiopia, a different variety of field corn is grown.

If Americans did try to give the corn used for livestock to the Ethiopians, they would NOT want it — it is useless for them. I know this because I work with an Ethiopian.

Other misleading “facts” included Ms. Hirt’s statement about Mad Cow Disease.

Mad Cow Disease was not spread by ground up cows — it was ground up sheep by-products used to supplement the cows’ feed. Sheep brains were the culprit in the epidemic.

The last letter discounted itself. At the beginning, the writer wrote “pigs are for eating.”

Later, the writer tried to use the Bible as a credible source of factual information by stating, “In the Bible they ate fish and slaughtered lambs.”

Well, I hate to break this to you, but the Bible also says not to eat pork. If an outside source is to be used to support an opinion, please keep the argument consistent. Also, not everyone believes in the Bible or in God, so your argument will not hold for everyone.

Meat is an excellent source of protein — but plants are too.

Whether a person is a semi-vegetarian, a vegan, or enjoys a good steak, a balanced and healthy diet which is environmentally safe will help conserve both the soil and the rest of the planet for generations.

Please, if you’re trying to respond to an article, use verifiable facts — not misconceptions.

Emily Woline

Junior

English and secondary education