Everyone has heard of the horrifying shooting of moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado, which left 12 people dead and dozens more injured, and many people have debated how gun control or mental-health care might help stop future outbreaks of violence. But while there are many forms of random, senseless violence that we can do nothing about, there's one way each of us can make the world a little more peaceful every time we sit down to eat: All we have to do is choose meat-free meals. That's why PETA has written to the Arapahoe County sheriff to ask him to lead the way by placing the man charged in the Aurora shooting, James Holmes, on a totally nonviolent vegan diet.

There's a Reason 'Carnivore' Sounds Like 'Carnage'

Although the extreme violence inflicted on them rarely makes the news, animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses endure senseless acts of aggression and bloodshed every hour of every day, and their fear and pain are as palpable and real as anyone else's. Also, extreme cruelty to animals is inextricably linked to acts of violence against human beings.

Eating plant-based meals is a simple way for all of us to make the world a less violent place. To initiate this positive trend, PETA has offered to provide all inmates of the Arapahoe County jail where Holmes is incarcerated with vegan meals for a day at no cost to the county.

What You Can Do

Had enough violence? Go vegan for life.

aflcio/CC by 2.0

Uh oh! Is it happening again? Could politicians please stop promising that, if elected, they'll get their kids puppies? "Sorry, Suzie, you didn't shake enough hands or kiss enough babies so … no puppy for you!"

The latest politician to offer his kids this Faustian bargain is Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, who is reportedly out looking for a new puppy after being elected to another term on Tuesday. To be fair, he may have intended to follow through on his promise whether he was re-elected or not, but we still have to take issue with a reporter’s use of the term "shopping" to describe adding a new canine to the family. 

Let's hope that Sen. Bennet is planning on adopting, not mall-hopping. Just to be sure, we've written to the senator and urged him to limit his puppy perusal to shelters and rescue groups. If he opts to fulfill his campaign promise by saving the life of a shelter dog, everybody wins.

Written by Alisa Mullins

We all know the mudflap girl, but there's a new silhouette in town.

A pothole ad to prevent potbellies

Approximately 150 miles of road in Boulder County, Colorado are crumbling and if the county accepts our ad offer PETA's vegan vixen is ready to do more than turn truckers' heads. Sometimes we all need a reminder to use seatbelts, wear helmets, and watch for pedestrians in crosswalks—and this ad sends a message that's just as important: Your life may depend on what you eat—certainly the lives of animals do. So how about pulling over and picking up some lip-smacking vegan cuisine?

Written by Karin Bennett

In a study that sounds like something dreamed up by the mischief-makers at The Onion, experimenters at the University of Colorado (CU) have determined that putting mice into uncomfortable cages and moving them from cage to cage upsets them to the point that it physically alters their brains. This, the experimenters conclude, "affects the outcomes of research." Gee, ya think?

Another stunning discovery: Introducing a strange mouse to this already stressful mix may even cause the animals to fight to protect their little bit of turf. Experimenters also injured the animals' noses and shoved them into cages with either low or high ventilation for a few weeks, killed them, and cut up their brains for examination.

"We assume that mice used in laboratories are all the same, but they are not," Diego Restrepo, director of CU's neuroscience program, told Science Daily. Wow, if only someone had called us, we could have saved Restrepo (and the mice) a lot of trouble—not to mention all the government grant money it would have saved the taxpayers. We also could have told him that housing animals in crowded cages and failing to provide prompt veterinary care and adequate anesthesia during painful surgeries (all of which has been documented at CU laboratories) can also skew research findings.

Anybody who has spent any time with mice knows that they each have individual personalities, just like cats, dogs, and all other animals do. They also feel pain and experience loneliness, boredom, and fear. So, yes, sticking them in cramped cages, hauling them out every once in a while to poke and prod them, and forcing them to live in close proximity with strangers upsets them. Apparently, Common Sense 101 isn't a prerequisite at CU.

Written by Alisa Mullins

elephantjournal / CC

To pass the time on long, boring drives, I often stare at passing license plates and rack my brain to decipher the messages. There are definitely some hilarious ones, but I'm most stoked when I see a plate with a compassionate message.

Unfortunately, no one driving through Colorado will be seeing the personalized license plate "ILVTOFU" anytime soon, thanks to the DMV's rejection of the message as "possibly offensive to the general public."

Wait, what? How is loving tofu offensive? (Aside from this video, of course.)

As it turns out, the license-plate approver had an entirely different interpretation of the message, as in I-LV-TO-eff-you.

While it's a creative interpretation, it's not exactly what the Colorado mother of three vegetarian kids had in mind. Hopefully, with a little explanation and maybe even a tasty sample of the jiggly white stuff, the rejection will be overturned and her car can become the vegetarian-message-on-wheels that it was meant to be.

How about you? Do you have a personalized plate with an animal rights message? Spill the details below.

Written by Jennifer Cierlitsky

imagesofcolorado / CC

So, the president and CEO of Seattle-based Attachmate has found himself knee-deep in bison dung. No, really!

Software executive Jeff Hawn apparently warned the neighbors of his Colorado home to keep the bison off his property or else … and he meant it. According to CNN, Jeff alleged in a lawsuit that "the animals knocked his satellite television dishes off line and left poop, tracks, and hair on 'pristine pasture on rolling hills.'" Well, Mr. Hawn, maybe that's because they're … um … bison, and bison, well, have been known to walk around and poop, as shocking as that is. And it was their land, their home, before it was your land, your sprawling second luxury home.

Nine days after he filed this absurd suit, CNN reports, the first shots were fired and eventually the remains of 32 bison were found on Hawn's property. Law enforcement later found out that 14 hunters got a letter from Hawn giving them total permission to hunt the bison on his property. However, I'm guessing that he forgot about that whole "open range" law that Colorado has. Livestock can roam wherever they want, and if people don't want them around, they're encouraged to build a fence, not blow their brains out.

Luckily, money can't buy everything, and this lovely fellow has found himself smack dab in the middle of criminal court, charged with theft and 32 counts of aggravated animal cruelty. But now here's the kicker—one of Hawn's attorneys said that Hawn "had no other choice" but to get rid of the bison so that he could protect himself.

No other choice?!!?? The man is CEO of a major corporation and doesn’t know about options.

Well, luckily, the rest of Fairplay, Colorado, is outraged, as are we. Comment and tell us what you think about this mess of a situation, and we'll be sure to keep you updated.

Written by Christine Doré

Folks, it's Election Day tomorrow, and apparently I'm not allowed to vote just because I'm secretly British and don't have American citizenship. It all seems extremely unfair, being singled out this way. Nonetheless, in the spirit of democracy, here are some important propositions up for the vote that will directly affect the lives of animals, so if you live in any of the following states—regardless of your political proclivities—please think about them when you go to vote. If you don't want to do it for animals, do it for me, since I'm going to be stuck at home desultorily eating pizza and watching the last season of Prison Break while everyone else gets to go out into the brisk November air and wait in line to vote on the country's future.

In Arizona:
Vote YES on Proposition 204—Arizonans for Humane Farms is leading the charge to pass Prop 204, which would ban the intensive confinement of pregnant pigs and veal calves on industrialized factory farms. Prop 204 would prohibit the cruel confinement of baby calves in veal creates and give pregnant pigs enough room to extend their limbs.

In Colorado:
Vote YES on Amendment 38—The Petition Rights Amendment (Amendment 38) seeks to give citizens a more active role in shaping their democracy, which means that animal advocates in Colorado will have more power to use this tool to effect change without having to deal with the petty technicalities and bureaucracy currently used to reject petition signatures.

In Florida:
Vote NO on Amendment 3—Florida is one of 24 states that allows direct democracy by giving citizens access to place legislative measures on the statewide ballot. In the past this has resulted in landmark initiatives on behalf of animals, such as the first-ever ban on intensive confinement in factory farms in this country. Currently, big business interests are hoping to make it more difficult for voters to participate in this kind of direct democracy. If passed, Amendment 3 will significantly inhibit citizens' ability to amend their own state constitution.

In Michigan:
Vote NO on Proposal 3— Up until this year, Michigan had a 100-year tradition of protecting the mourning dove, Michigan's official bird of peace. That tradition is currently in danger, but voters can weigh in on the issue. By voting "no" on Proposal 3, you can ensure that doves are protected by law from being shot at in Michigan.