Relinquish your meat-eating ways for the Fourth

The Fourth good day to give up meat

For this year’s Fourth of July gatherings, here are some excellent reasons for barbecuing veggie burgers and soy hot dogs, rather than animal body parts:

• Not sweating nasty E. coli and Salmonella bugs, if temperature is too low.

• Not sweating cancer-causing compounds, if temperature is too high.

• Focusing on fireworks safety, rather than food safety.

• Giving your body a holiday from saturated fat, cholesterol, and hormones.

• Avoiding the animal cruelty and environmental devastation guilt trips.

• Sharing a holiday with your strange but lovable veggie friends.

• Celebrating a day of independence from the meat industry.

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Relinquish your meat-eating ways for the Fourth."