When a Louisiana teen named Logan asked his parents if he could go on a 19-day trip to Great Britain with People to People, a student ambassador travel program, his parents knew it would be tough to raise the $8,000 needed for the trip. Logan is the middle child in a family of six children, so that’s a big chunk of change to come up for just one child.
So, his parents decided to organize a Cow Raffle. For just $10/ticket, raffle participants can win a steer, either live or processed. If the winner chooses the beef option, the family will even buy the freezer for all of the meat. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold and the winner will be announced on May 15. To me, it sounds like a clever way to raise some money for this trip but, of course, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sees it differently.
It’s no secret that PETA sells scandal. Their salacious Super Bowl ads in recent years have been deemed too racy for TV, and their posters of nude celebs wearing nothing but lettuce leaves and bunny rabbits have earned this animal rights organizations a down-right raunchy status in my book. And, forget the animals. PETA doesn’t really care about animals. If they did, then they wouldn’t have killed nearly 90% of the dogs and cats in the care of its Virginia headquarters’ animal shelter last year. The facility euthanized 1,647 cats and dogs last year and only placed 19 in new homes, according to the data submitted to the Virginia Department for Agriculture and Consumer Services.
When PETA heard about the Louisiana boy’s innocent fundraiser, they sent him a message that is beyond inappropriate. Thanks to a blog at Chicks On The Right for sharing excerpts of the letter, which included statements like this:
"Call me crazy, but it just seems a little strange to me that you feel that someone needs to die in order for you to go on a school trip. Know what I mean? Aside from the fact that cows also don't want to be hoisted into the air by their back legs and have their throats slit while they're fully conscious, the 400-600 lbs. of beef that you would process wouldn't be doing anyone any favors. Eating meat can be a recipe for disaster in the form of heart disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and even impotence—something I'm sure no one in your town, particularly the fellas, would be too pleased about.
“Would you consider allowing me to work with you to move the cow to a reputable sanctuary where he or she can live out the rest of his or her days freely (as nature intended)? In return, I'd like to work with you directly on your fundraising efforts by helping you raise money in a way that doesn't cost someone their life. One idea I’d like to suggest would be a veggie dog sale in your community hosted by PETA's bikini-clad Lettuce Ladies. Of course, I'd be down to brainstorm other creative, eye-catching (and totally newsworthy) ideas with you if this is something you'd like to work with me on. I'd also love to send you some free goodies! So, if that's something you're interested in, just shoot me an e-mail back with your full mailing address, and I’ll send some free swag your way."
Excuse me, PETA. But, do you think talking about impotence and sending X-rated photos of your Lettuce Ladies is an acceptable letter to send to a teenager, much less anyone? Not to mention, promising to offer sanctuary for a cow that they would more than likely euthanize, PETA has certainly crossed a line by targeting our nation’s youth in this manner. This isn’t the first time PETA has targeted America’s young people. They’ve been known to show up at state fairs and target 4-H youth for showing livestock.
A Closer Look: Leave 4-H Kids Alone, PETA
As usual, the best advice I can give on this entire deal is to ignore PETA, as they are certainly looking for some media attention, be it positive or negative. And, I think the bloggers at Chicks On The Right sum it best, “Support Logan. Buy some raffle tickets. Win a cow! Plus, PETA will hate you, and cows are delicious.” To purchase a raffle ticket, check out the Facebook page for The Cow Raffle here.
What do you think about PETA’s latest theatrics? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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