Okay, I wouldn’t normally write about this here - but given the nature of all PETA members to be vegetarians, and my respect of the vegetarian’s choice to lead their lifestyle however they see fit in terms of what they choose to put in their mouths, I decided it sort of fits.

I just woke up to a post over at Elaine Vigneault’s about the Politics of Power and PeTA (I wonder why the “ethical” letter gets a lower case?) that really set me off.

Most of you who come here regularly know that I’m a devout animal lover. I have had up to three retired greyhounds that I rescued from the throes of death in my home at any given time, and one of my biggest dreams in life is to be in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda to help save the Mountain Gorillas. (I swear, when Dian Fossey went crazy, her spirit invaded my body to protect it before she died.) I’m a certified zookeeper, and I have nothing but adoration and love for animals.

But I’m a carnivore - how can that be?

I have no problem sinking my teeth into a nice steak or wearing a leather coat to keep me warm. Would I wear a mink? Nope. The old raccoon coat my grandmother had? Nope.

Does that make me racist? Bigoted? A misogynist? According to PeTA it does, apparantly.

In the event that my comment doesn’t make it out of moderation on Elaine’s site (I respect her right to choose not to post it, though I feel when blogging that you open up your words to criticism, whether you like it or not.) I’m going to post my comment here. Please go read her post first though…

Elaine - I’m hoping that it’s really just too early in the morning and I haven’t had enough coffee - but are you comparing meat eaters to racists, bigots, and misogynists? I can’t tell you how much I REALLY hope I read all that wrong (and I read through it three times).

You know, I’m all for being a little outrageous to get your point across, but honestly PETA goes above and beyond to the point of no one “getting it”.

I live in upstate NY - PETA wanted to have the governments of areas like the Catskill mountains, Fishkill, and Hamburg CHANGE their names (after four hundred years) because they have the word “kill” in there after an animal name or refer to ground up cattle. Let’s not forget, that “kill” in these names doesn’t refer to slaughter, but rather it means “creek”. (wiki) And Hamburg - well, are they going to go to Germany and implore the German government to change THAT? It’s even older than the Hamburg in NY!

I understand that vegetarians have different reasons for not eating meat, and that many of them make that choice because of the suffering of the animals, and they don’t wish to eat anything that has a heartbeat. I totally get it.

While I’m not vegetarian, I won’t wear furs, because I don’t believe in raising an animal solely to kill it for it’s skin. Leather, to me, is a different story. My opinion - I own it. I also don’t believe it makes me a hypocrite, but rather base my emotions and feelings on circumstances instead of making broad decisions.

However I do take serious offense to the association of meat eaters being racists because they don’t “get” the difference (being that PETA and PETA supporters feel there is none). I’m not and never have tolerated racism in others. I’m a woman, and I don’t take shit from anyone in terms of being considered the “lesser” sex. And I’m driven further into my dislike for PETA and groups like it by being called racist…

Before I finish - let me also state that I’m a certified zookeeper, but would never work in a zoo that didn’t give the animals a lifestyle resembling one they’d have in the wild (and don’t get me started on PETA’s movement to break into zoos and let all the captive-born animals free…), one of my dreams in life is to be in Rwanda saving the Mountain Gorillas from extinction by poachers (Hey, what a novel idea! Give that one to your PETA president… what, they don’t want to put their lives in danger to save a dying breed? Didn’t think so. I would though.) And last, I boycott circuses and despite the number of children in my life, will not attend them, and put their parents through one hell of a finger wagging for even suggesting the idea of taking their children. Yep, I’ve done my part, and changed a LOT of minds about it - does that make me a racist, bigot, or misogynist now?

I’m sorry - but I’m TIRED of the generalizations… and that one just went a little too far.

Now in all fairness - Elaine could’ve been talking about things she doesn’t agree with, but again, it’s just early enough in my day where it didn’t come across that way to me.

My friend Jodi Weiner is a comedian, and she has this joke that just cracks me (and audiences) up every time…

I was sitting in a restaurant one day with my husband, we’d both ordered hamburgers for dinner and the plates just arrived. This woman leans over from the next table and says, “Excuse me, but do you know how many animals died so you could eat that?”

I looked at her plate of lettuce, grains, and hay and said, “Do you know how many animals died because you’re eating THEIR food?”

Okay seriously… I really do respect the choices of vegetarians to not eat meat because they feel that meat (especially in this homogenized, modified, altered world) isn’t a healthy thing to put in their bodies. I can even appreciate vegetarians who simply refuse to eat anything that ever had a heartbeat. (But if I ever catch one having an abortion, I’ll never let up on them… and yes, it does happen. They think they feel enough guilt themselves? I’ll make them wish they were never born.)

What I can’t respect though is PeTA or any of its members who attack my entire belief system simply because I eat meat. They call me a racist, bigot, or misogynist. They accuse ME of hypocrisy when they once had a campaign where they threw pig’s blood on women wearing fur coats. Nope, that’s where I draw the damn line and go get myself a cheeseburger.