Regarding the July 12 letter "Distasteful, not bizarre," the writer missed the point of the "Bizarro" cartoon of July 8. This cartoon was not at all meant to be funny. The cartoonist's point is that people think that free-range poultry is an OK way for these animals to live, whereas anyone who knows about the farming industry knows that "free-range" is not regulated by the USDA and is meaningless. It does not mean that the animals lead better lives than those in factory farms.

Since the animal rights movement is following the same progression as any other social justice issue movement (ie., civil rights, gay rights, women's rights, etc.), the point is that, just as it would be ludicrous to think that free-range slavery would have been OK during slavery, it is equally ludicrous to think that free-range chickens and turkeys are OK in today's world. They need to be free -- period. Free to live their lives as they choose, without being confined by humans, without being slaughtered.

The letter-writer is right. This is no laughing matter!

Beth Levine

Raleigh

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