Got milk? Too bad
State authorities are right to be concerned about the health hazards of consuming raw dairy products ("Crying Over Raw Milk," 1/29/10), but even pasteurization doesn't make milk safe.
Milk products contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates but are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow's blood and pus and frequently tainted by pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Drinking milk has been linked to obesity, allergies, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even osteoporosis - the very disease it is touted to help prevent.
Meanwhile, the nine million cows living on dairy farms in the United States spend most of their lives in large sheds or on feces-caked mud lots, where disease is rampant. Cows raised for their milk are repeatedly impregnated and their babies taken away. When their exhausted bodies can no longer provide enough milk, they are sent to slaughter. And the waste produced by dairy farms pollutes our air and water.
Fortunately, terrific nondairy ice creams, milks and cheeses are now widely available.
Jeff Mackey, research specialist, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Norfolk, Va.
Head for the Hills
How can you hate Shorewood Hills ()? If you don't like pure democracy, or if you don't like a community dedicated to the best interests of its residents, maybe Shorewood is not the place for you. There is a very high level of nonpartisan civic participation in the affairs of this village.
There is no question that the few negative comments we have seen about the introduction of low-income housing on the fringe of our village are inappropriate, but that's certainly not an accurate view of the vast majority of our residents.
This is not an "upper income" community. There is already a wide variety of housing in this village. The fact that this is a very desirable place to live doesn't mean that the people that live here are "exclusive" in their attitudes.
Chan McKelvey, Village of Shorewood Hills
