NPR's Marketplace had a hideous segment on thanksgiving turkeys http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/freakonomics-radio/your-thanksgiving-turkey-probably-product-artificial-insemination

The segment aired yesterday. Comments can be sent to Stephen Dubner dubnerlevitt@freakonomics.com and submitted below the segment.

UPC thanks Gina Wilson for passing this on to us.

UPC President Karen Davis placed this comment today:

Stripping turkeys of their dignity by perverting their sexuality to match our own dysfunctional minds and behavior - what is funny about that? These sad, overbred birds are terrified of the repetitive, painfully distressing and alien artificial insemination and masturbation process - this violent sexual human assault they are helpless to defend themselves against. Maybe one day justice will prevail and our cruelty and smirking meanness of heart and spirit will come back to bite us. Meanwhile shame on us and shame on Marketplace and NPR. This is why I will never donate funds to NPR. Karen Davis, PhD, President, United Poultry Concerns. www.upc-online.org. Author of More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual, and Reality.

Richard Schwartz of Jewish Vegetarians of North America wrote:

As president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America, I want to point out that the production and consumption of meat and other animal products violate basic religious mandates to preserve human health, treat animals with compassion, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people and that animal -based diets and agriculture are causing an epidemic of diseases in the Jewish and other communities, and contributing significantly to climate change and other environmental problems that threaten all of humanity. I believe it is essential that the Jewish community address these issues and consider shifts to plant-based diets to help shift our imperiled planet to a sustainable path. For further information about Jewish teachings on vegetarianism, please see my 150 articles and 25 podcasts and complete text of my book "Judaism and Vegetarianism" at JewishVeg.com/schwartz and please see our acclaimed documentary "A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World" at ASacredDuty.com.

Please add your voice for the turkeys. These birds are treated So Badly. For more information: www.upc-online.org/turkeys/.