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Letter to the Editor: Don’t support foie gras dinners

Here’s the idea: Show people how causing harm to others is cruel and unnecessary, and they will rise to the occasion, inspiring others to follow.

Unfortunately, many remain ambivalent to cruelty. Widespread ambivalent, illogical attitudes toward a group of others are almost always a hallmark of an oppressive ideology. Oppressive ideologies require rational, humane people to participate in irrational, inhumane practices and to remain unaware of such contradictions.

The Sierra Sun’s announcement of foie gras dinners by Gluttony Catering, highlighting and promoting foie gras, before the California Ban takes effect, is one such example. In 2004, with overwhelming support, California Senate Bill 1520 was put into law, banning the force feeding of ducks and geese in the production of foie gras, which will go into effect in July 2012.



This legislation was a landmark event, providing some basic protection to our societies most vulnerable. The production of foie gras is inherently cruel. Ducks and geese are de-billed, de-toed, housed in small filthy cages and forced to ingest liquid feed pressure, pumped 12 inches down their throats through a metal pipe several times a day in order to induce severely enlarged, diseased livers.

Celebrating the taste of food derived from such cruelty is inconceivable to me. I encourage others who are as horrified by this cruelty as I am to give a voice to the millions of animals forced to live and die in these conditions by not supporting the foie gras dinners by Gluttony Catering.



Eating plants instead of animals is a healthy, practical alternative to factory farmed animal cruelty. Our actions always have consequences, some unseen. Please think mindfully about what you consume, it matters.

To remain indifferent is itself an act of support for cruelty.

John Merryfield

Kings Beach


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