H/T to Vegans of Color...
PETA wants to advertise "Go vegan" message on border fence:
While many view the contentious border fence as a government fiasco, an animal rights group sees a rare opportunity.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans today to announce an unusual marketing pitch to the U.S. government: Rent us space on the fence for billboards warning illegal border crossers there is more to fear than the Border Patrol.
The billboards, in English and Spanish, would offer the caution: "If the Border Patrol Doesn't Get You, the Chicken and Burgers Will — Go Vegan."
"We think that Mexicans and other immigrants should be warned if they cross into the U.S. they are putting their health at risk by leaving behind a healthier, staple diet of corn tortillas, beans, rice, fruits and vegetables," said Lindsay Rajt, assistant manager of PETA's vegan campaigns.
The Department of Homeland Security is working to meet a deadline to complete 670 miles of fencing and other barriers on the Southwest border by Dec. 31. The fencing operation has run into stiff opposition by landowners fighting government efforts to obtain their land through condemnation.
PETA says its billboards would picture "fit and trim" Mexicans in their own country, where their diet is more in line with the group's mission. Another image on the sign would portray obese American children and adults "gorging on meaty, fat- and cholesterol-packed American food."
PETA'S offer to the feds is expected to arrive in a letter to Border Patrol officials today.
But a government spokesman in Washington said the request will be
rejected because it would limit visibility through the fence. And Border Patrol does not allow advertising on its property or installations, the officials added."The fencing being put in place is, in many cases, mesh fencing to allow our officers to see what's happening on the other side and to better secure the border," said Michael Friel, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
One property owner on the Texas-Mexico border laughed at PETA's proposal.
"I think it's ridiculous," said Noel Benavides, who is contesting the construction of a fence dividing his family's 145-acre ranch in Roma on the Rio Grande. "I can't see the point of something like that."
But Rajt said the rent money they'd pay would help offset the huge costs of the fencing — and the advertising message "might even be frightening enough to deter people from crossing into the U.S."
PETA has often been criticized for its aggressive animal rights crusades. It's used billboards to push many of its controversial positions such as "Buck Cruelty: Say NO to horse-drawn carriage rides" or "Feeding Kids Meat Is Child Abuse."
6 Comments Have Been Posted
*blink* Wow, that is just so
jadedhippy replied on
*blink*
Wow, that is just so wrong on so many levels...
They got sick of just supporting misogynistic advertising practices so decided to support a racist, anti-immigrant project.
They just get classier with every passing day.
~whatsername~
It's sad.
Briar Levit replied on
PETA was sort of my introduction in to activism, so it's been hard to see them go in the direction they have. So clueless!
Indeed ...
booniesgrrl replied on
... PETA has become a parody of themselves, especially now that Jenna Jameson has joined the ranks of their celebrity activists (which includes Pam Anderson). Am amazed Sir Paul McCartney and the legendary Chrissie Hynde are still with 'em.
disappointed
Cyan McDermott replied on
When I started reading this post, I thought PETA was going to use a message about the dangers of "coyotes" and other human predators who put illegal immigrants into terrible working situations (like in the movie Fast Food Nation) which would at least be valid warning, but instead they want to put some absurd message about obesity? Possibly the typical Mexican diet is healthier than the typical American diet (with all our subsidies to make crap food cheap), but still, it's not as if Mexicans are primarily vegetarians (animal products are often used in cooking otherwise veg items like rice and beans).
However, at the end of the post, there was an item about "controversial" PETA messages, like one about "Buck Cruelty" for not riding carriage horses - is that really controversial? If so, it's a sad statement about our culture being so oblivious that they can't comprehend that intelligent animals dragging humans for "fun" rides maybe isn't the best thing for the horses. The other message mentioned was truly ridiculous, but still.
increible ...
Broad Vocabulary replied on
... means "unbelievable" in Spanish. As the granddaughter of a Mexican immigrant, I just can't believe that PETA could be so tone-deaf that they think this would ring true -- or ring sane -- to a person desperate enough to attempt a desert border crossing. Hello?!!? If your family is impoverished enough to feel that the best solution to the family's economic crisis is to risk several vulnerable days in the desert and several thousand dollars to cross illegally into the U.S., you would be glad to eat even the most hormone-and-cholesterol-laden hamburger when you got here safely. PETA's classism and racism are staggering.
PETA, PETA, PETA. No other
jellyfish replied on
PETA, PETA, PETA. No other organization is so blind to the interconnectedness of social issues. PETA is so oblivious to issues of race, culture, and gender that it alienates even those who are deeply sympathetic to animal rights.
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