Vote 'Yes' on Question 3 and help farm animals

To the editor:

Do you remember what the pigs says? "Oink! Oink!" And the cow? "Moo!" And the duck? "Quack! Quack!" And so on.

Well, now we have to help our friends the animals who live in crates and cages way too small for them.

A calf born to its mother and is taken away that day, and bottle fed in a dark crate never to see its mother again. The crate is so tight the calf cannot turn around, or hit a fly from its tail. If it has an itch, that's too bad. If it poops, the calf stands in it. Solitary confinement, slaughtered and to your table in another name called veal cutlet.

A chicken is in a cage so small it cannot spread its wings. It is grossly overfed until its death. It's on your table for chicken parmesan or its eggs are used for scrambled eggs in the morning.

A pig lays pregnant over and over again in a metal cage. The space is so tight the pig cannot turn around to lick itself or scratch a sore. It cannot help its baby piglet if it needed to. You'll see this pig on your table as ham, or bacon, or pulled pork. This is inhumane, unsanitary and cruel.

The cost to change these cages statewide is nothing compared to their living situation day to day, hour by hour, year by year. Let us Massachusetts people stand up for farm animals and set a standard for them. Give these poor innocent animals that are killed for us a decent way to live while they are alive.

Let's make an example here in Massachusetts for being humane toward farm animals. This is a small price to pay for bigger living quarters for calves, pigs and chickens.

Vote "Yes" on Question 3 to prevent any more animal cruelty in Massachusetts. Vote in favor for these innocent creatures who cannot vote for themselves and need your help. Let's promote responsible and humane farming and definitely improve food safety and prevent animal cruelty from this day on.

My vote is easy. It's "Yes" on 3.

Barbara Arpante, Pittsfield