PETA’s New Ad Campaign: Targeting Impoverished Communities for Vegan Propaganda

It sometimes seems to me like PETA is bent on hurting animals by trying to make the term ‘animal rights activist’ synonymous with ‘self-absorbed, ignorant jack-ass.’  So what’s their newest tactic for sullying an otherwise decent cause?  Billboards on the border fence warning people who which to cross that getting fat from eating meat might be the most serious danger facing them :

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…

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."

Guanabee breaks down for us just how … ugh… this new PETA campaign really is:

Why not just eat lean meats and take care to avoid processed or fast food? Or, right, because not everyone has the monetary resources to eat a healthy vegan diet and buy fresh produce or enjoy the luxury of having time to shop, prepare and cook nutritious dinners instead of working support oneself and, quite possibly, several family members back home. This is just so ignorant on PETA’ s part, on so many levels. And the kicker is, we know the entire organization cannot possibly be made up of remedial, naive jackasses with the combined cognitive capacity of a 12-year-old on meth. We know they’re aiming for publicity. In which case: There. You’re welcome. Please consider this enough to not have to resort to covering an immigrant woman in body paint to drive your message home any further. Thanks.

To quote a Guanabee commentor:

Ay, pero que cosa mas fea! What is wrong with these people, have they no sense or shame?…WHO DO THESE PEOPLE THINK PICKS ALL OF THEIR FRESH VEGGIES IN THIS COUNTRY??? How about some rights for the Mexican migrants and their families, who move constantly and can’t educate their children, who have limited access to healthcare, who are exploited and abused by employers without any recourse?

Fortunately for those truly interested in animal rights, and not just attention, we have the Humane Society – which does real work to promote the welfare of both animals and humans .