Vegetarians and vegans across the country were thrilled to hear a plug for vegetarianism by Andy Rooney, the curmudgeonly commentator on CBS’s news rogram, 60 Minutes, I don’t know when vegetarianism got such an endorsement on a major new program on a major television network. Probably not since Oprah made an anti-beef comment on her show (and promptly got sued by the beef industry). Read or watch Andy Ponders Eating Spinach, Horsemeat and Vegetarianism.

I don't know why anyone who eats beef finds the idea of eating a horse so repulsive but I'm one of them. Horses seem so friendly and I don't like to be reminded of the animal I'm eating. I often pass a farm with cows grazing in the field and I think to myself how terrible it is that human beings grow other animals just to kill them and eat them.

Most of us think of vegetarians as nuts and I'm not a vegetarian but I wouldn't be surprised if we came to a time in 50 or 100 years when civilized people everywhere refused to eat animals. I could be one of them.

So far the comments on the CBS News website about Mr. Rooney’s commentary are overwhelmingly positive. Be sure to leave your comments as well. Maybe CBS News will take that as a sign that it should investigate factory farming.