Please critique a letter that I want to send to "everybody" that I can think of!  I need your input!
Here's what I have so far!

(I do plan on signing my full name and address when I do send it out--)

One year later….and still in trouble


Here I sit one year after being personally affected by the largest pet food recall in history, no change on the horizon, and seeing the same disaster enter our human food supply.  In my opinion, it is the same reasons that these two events have happened.  Greed, lack of proper oversight and out of date regulations.  During March of 2007, with one cat at death’s doorway and one on the road to recovery from simply feeding them their favorite food, I wondered how, in this post 9-11 era, could this happen and just what else may prove to be affected.  The extent of the damage from the alleged adulterated pet food ingredients will never be known.  We do know that this contamination did make it into the human food supply, but little has been done in the public eye to stop this type of contamination in the future.  Now we are faced with the possibility that many of our most vulnerable citizens, our school age children, have eaten beef products from the Hallmark/Westland recall.  The possibility that one or more of the downer cows may have been infected with BSE is real.  I feel it is irresponsible for the public to be told that there is little risk for infection as there have been no reported illnesses. It is irresponsible to only talk about E.Coli.  It is known that prion acquired spongiform encephalopathies can have an incubation of 10 years. 
http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/abouthpd-animal.html

Risk vs. benefit……….When the benefit outweighs the risk, that path is usually taken.  As in this beef recall, and with the pet food recall, the benefit of using improper or illegal ingredients outweighed the risk of being caught.  Unfortunately many beloved pets had to die before the pet food adulteration was discovered but we will not know the ramifications from this lack of oversight and regulations with the beef industry until 10 years or more.  It is time to take this for what it is----a real health concern that should have severe penalties.  We have lost more of our population to food borne illnesses than any terrorist attack and it is the time now to start getting our food supply as safe as possible.  I keep hearing that the US has the safest food supply in the world---but after reading about this latest slaughterhouse disaster, it surely is not enough.  It is time to make the risk outweigh the benefit!

Excellent, Carol!  I REALLY like the part comparing food related deaths to terrorist attacks, that is so true.  I won't post this anywhere, but may email this thread to family & friends to read your letter.  I can't see any changes needed for it.

Carol - I really take my hat off to you.. I am just sooooo grateful that there are pet guardians like you who refuse to let the 2007 petfood nightmare be forgotten and are doing "over and above the call of duty" to make petfood safe for our beloved animal companions.  Some want to do more, but do not have the resources (talent, time, connections, know-how, energy, etc - it isn't becuase they don't care) and on their behalf, I really really want to THANK YOU. 

So far I have only sent it to Rep Stupak and the Dept of AG secretary.... I had to shorten it for the dept of Ag---  I plan on making it more personal about Smudge and angelJess when I send it to my local newspaper. 

Fell free to tell me to add or take away anything---that is why I asked for help.  I wanted it to be read by someone who just won't throw it away or roll their eyes!  My background is science not writing!

Carol- I think it has great impact just as it is .