The misinformed editorial "Turkeys with lawyers" invites this reply. Animal rights advocates were relieved to learn that a local radio station that claimed it was going to drop a live turkey from an airplane was teasing. Regrettably, we had good reason to be concerned. Dropping live turkeys from airplanes amused the town of Yellville, Ark., for a number of years until, as a result of a national animal-rights protest, the National Enquirer did a photo story, in 1989, that depicted this event, which has been sponsored each year by the Yellville Chamber of Commerce.
Even if this stunt had never materialized beyond the realm of an insipid imagination, however, we still would object to the irresponsibility of planting the thought in people's minds, even as a joke. Abuse of animals is a human problem that is as serious as any other abuse. Recognizing this fact, animal advocates will continue to educate people, and to work for equal justice, knowing that to seek to enlarge the human capacity for justice and compassion is to care about and to work for people as well as for other creatures.