Posted by
Bob Siegel on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 12:12:25 AM
PETA (People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is at it again. I am tempted to say that they have topped themselves but actually, that ship sailed long ago. Still, the latest stunt from the amiable advocates of anti-animal animosity warrants some discussion.
Now they are going after McDonald's Happy Meals. OK, not the most nutritious menu for kids or anyone else, but then the health of human beings is not the concern of PETA anyway. Now they are standing outside McDonald's with Unhappy Meals. These include pictures of Ronald McDonald with a knife, portraying the clown as some kind of psychopathic chicken/cow slasher and the possible brother of Freddie. Oh yes, and ketchup is pictured as blood. Cute, huh?
Look, I do have problems with some of the inhumane ways in which animals are slaughtered. But I also have a problem with cruelty to children. Do kids really need to have nightmares because their parents tried to buy them a Happy Meal? Aren't there one or two more important things going on in the world right now to channel our energy toward so that the children can be spared this utter nonsense? Besides, PETA objects to animals being used as food, period. They spend time on talk shows highlighting the torture of animals in meat factories because they know that is the only way to build sympathy from an audience which, if assurances of humane treatment were offered, have no problem eating meat.
The real irony with PETA is not that they elevate animal life, but rather, lower the value of human life. While this McDonald's episode demonstrates little concern for the emotional health of children, it is tame compared to PETA's former crusades: When Palestinian terrorists blow up people, PETA says nothing. But when those same terrorists blow up donkeys, they go nuts. And let's not forget the golden nugget of them all, a plate of fried chicken featured next to a picture of Auswitch Concentration Camp with a caption reading, "The New Holocaust." FLASH: Real Nazis and people with Nazi type philosophies are still poisoning our world. How can we educate a new generation into taking a stand when organizations like PETA are numbing us? Nothing will water down what the authentic Nazis did more than making all meat eaters into Nazis.
Since Happy Meals come with a prize, perhaps a moral compass should be added. That way, we can share at least part of the meal with our friends from PETA.
Also by Bob Siegel:
The Liberal Manifesto