Posted on 11/21/2001 4:37:34 AM PST by wbill
Arlington, Va. (CNSNews.com) - Trading the Thanksgiving turkey for Tofu? That's what representatives from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were urging Americans to do Tuesday.
"We are asking people to have a compassionate Thanksgiving by substituting turkey for one of the alternatives, like Tofurky, UnTurkey or Tofu Turkey," PETA spokesperson Bruce Friedrich said at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
PETA workers Kristie Phelps and Lina Choudhury, who braved the 50-degree weather wearing only bikinis made of plastic lettuce leaves, handed out pamphlets explaining the conditions at the nation's turkey farms. They asked airport workers and travelers to try a vegetarian or vegan (foods that contain no animal products) meal instead of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
"I want to appeal to holiday travelers to ask them to go vegan this Thanksgiving," Phelps said. "Fifty million turkeys each year are slaughtered for Thanksgiving after living their lives in unhealthy, inhumane conditions."
PETA claims turkey farms force the birds to spend their lives in filthy, overcrowded sheds, where heart attacks, contagious diseases, and skeletal deformities run rampant, and where the animals are bred and drugged to produce abnormal amounts of flesh.
The group says its appeal is also aimed at individuals concerned about their health and diet. According to PETA, turkey flesh is loaded with fat and cholesterol, and many nutrition experts fear the antibiotics and other chemicals fed to turkeys are passed on to humans who eat the animals.
The campaign has garnered some high profile support. Martin Sheen, the star of NBC's The West Wing, has spoken out against conditions at turkey farms. Also, PETA has shipped faux turkey products to almost 100 homeless shelters across the country.
The PETA campaign had some immediate effect on those who read the pamphlets. Airline worker Kenneth Brown said the information made him reconsider his Thanksgiving menu.
"I'm sure not going to eat turkey this Thanksgiving," he said. "After reading about the way that turkeys are held in captivity until they're slaughtered, it's sad. It's just a poor bird."
John Green, an airport security guard, said he was impressed with PETA's methods of spreading their message.
"I'm not even touching turkey this year," he said. "In fact, I'm not going to be able to even look at a turkey this year.
"They sure know how to get their point across," Green said.
However, another traveler, admittedly entertained by the press conference, said she was unwilling to give up turkey.
"I thought the lettuce bikinis were cute," said Mateel Todd, who claimed to be supportive of PETA on some issues. "But their campaign is not going to stop me from being a meat eater. I believe that animals raised for food can be treated ethically.
"Besides, I'm originally from Montana, and I would encourage everyone to eat Montana beef," she said.
David Almasi, spokesman for the National Center for Public Policy Research, said PETA chose the wrong holiday to criticize.
"PETA has to remember that this is a holiday based on the Pilgrims and the Indians working together to overcome the adversity of the harsh winter, and celebrating that they have been able to work with the earth to sustain themselves and the earth," he said. "If anything, this is one of the greatest, [politically correct] holidays as far as the environment is concerned."
Almasi added that Tuesday's press conference is just one of PETA's many moves to publicize itself and gain national recognition.
"It is just another attempt by PETA to get into the press," Almasi said. "One thing you can say about them is that they are a constant P.R. machine, and they have some genius people working there to make sure that every event in our lives affects their animal rights campaign."
I thought the lettuce bikinis sounded interesting, though. I'm such a chauvinist pig.
Then death is something of a release for those turkeys, isn't it?
Brown then added, "Close sarcasm tags." < /sarcasm >
Would they rather you put it in the oven alive.
Freudian slip, Mr. Friedrice? Shouldn't that have been ...by substituting one of the alternatives for turkey?
Heck, I'd be glad to substitute a real, juicy turkey for the ersatz glop these folks usually try to peddle. Glad PETA sees it my way!
Signed,
Tom Turkey
Hey chump, the're TURKEYS, not humans! Get a grip.
Wonder if we can come up with a counter protest.... "thousands of baby tofus clubbed to make each tofurkey", or something along those lines.
We could base it on the "Save the skeet" foundation - I've alawys got a kick out of that. "Thousands of innocent skeet are shot each day for sheer sporting purposes. Oh the humanity!"
:)
I am helping PETA this year by not having turkey. I like a good boneless ham much better anyway.
Actually, the indians had no problem with the harsh winter. They were used to it.This version of thanksgivings origins is not exactly accurate.
I believe Rush has told the real story berfore. The Pilgrims tried to run a "commune system" where everyone got the same amount of rewards(food) no matter if they worked hard or slacked off. There was no benifit to the individual for hard work, so many didn't, and food supplies were minimal.
It was only after settlers were permitted to have their own personal gardens that winter supplies were bountiful. There was so much excess that a festival (Thanksgiving) was held to eat some of the extra food that would not last over the winter, or not be needed. Ther was so much that the early settlers even invited the indians to join in the feast.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.