THANKS Mike O'Shaughnessy and Jenny Moxham for your letters (NM, 06/09).

Mike says "We should phase out sentient (feeling) animals that produce foods we do not need and replace industries such as dairy with plant-based foods".

Jenny says "Drinking cow's milk isn't just cruel - it's also abnormal and bizarre. The only ones who need cow's milk - and the only ones with a right to it - are calves".

This shows how out of touch they are with reality.

They have no idea about the importance of dairy products throughout history, or the present day.

Humans have been using milk products for thousands of years.

Milk is used from cows, goats, sheep, horses, yaks and buffalo.

Milk is a very important part of many diets.

Have they forgotten the contaminated berries and the formaldehyde in baby formula in China?

You can buy your processed foods with poor controls and poisonous additives. I won't.

Do they follow their own rules?

A farmer bucket feeds the calves he needs.

Some human mothers cannot breastfeed their babies and substitute with formula. Is there much difference?

If it is wrong for a farmer to sell calves, how is it right for humans to abort their babies?

Would should be do with all the dairy cattle and they offspring if we do not eat them?

Will we shoot them like we do the horses in Kosciuszko National Park, or the camels in central Australia or the buffalo in the Northern Territory?

If Mike and Jenny are so concerned, they could set up a calf rescue society.

BRYCE MCGREGOR

Avenell Heights