JAKE Mitchell's letter in Citizen last week cannot go unanswered. His belief that anyone who respects the life of other species is a fanatic' is appallingly misguided and it worries me that other people may actually believe his sweeping generalizations.

Why is being a vegetarian nonsense'? Are around seven per cent of the UK population (Food Standards Agency 2003) fanatical thugs?

It has long been known that meat eating causes environmental destruction, damages human health, contributes to hunger and inflicts suffering on billions of animals across the world. Nobody who has ever seriously looked at the facts can refute this.

I see absolutely nothing good about eating meat, and many others share my view. From a nutritional point of view a balanced vegetarian diet is not only healthier but on average increases life expectancy.

I would no sooner eat a chicken than I would eat a baby and I never plan to eat babies. I actually like humans. I just refuse to believe the outdated and completely illogical belief that we are superior to any other being on the planet.

As a pacifist and a morally aware person, not playing a part in the torture and killing of animals is a logical extension of not doing that to humans.

Janet Robinson, Lancaster.