Written by PETA
Tourists in Washington, D.C., are getting some food for thought courtesy of PETA's art installation on the National Mall. The Diner, by political artist Greg Metz, is housed inside a 28-foot 1955 Airstream trailer. One side of this clever piece shows a re-creation of the Last Supper—with famous vegetarians throughout history, including Sir Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, George Bernard Shaw, and Gandhi, replacing the apostles—and the other side shows graphic images of factory farms and slaughterhouses. Imbedded in the Airstream is a TV screen that plays PETA's video "Meet Your Meat."
The Diner is getting lots of attention. Thousands of people are stopping by every day, and many leave with stickers and copies of PETA's vegetarian/vegan starter kit and our video "Chew on This: 30 Reasons to Go Vegetarian."
The Diner will remain on the National Mall at the intersection of 14th Street S.W. and Jefferson Drive S.W. through Sunday, so if you're in town, come by and say "Hi." But if you can't make it to the Mall before then, check out this Flickr page.
Written by Paula Moore
Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is proof that one man can double-team fur industry cruelty. First, he bared it all in his "Ink, Not Mink" ad, and today he hosted PETA's fur-coat giveaway in Washington, D.C., where donated coats were handed out to the homeless:
Only those who can't afford to buy coats to keep them warm have any excuse to wear fur. Do you have any skins that you'd like to shed from your wardrobe? Donate them to PETA, and your old fashion faux pas could help a person in need or become bedding for an orphaned animal.
Written by Logan Scherer
Yesterday morning, walking to the D.C. Metro along the tenuous paths carved through the high banks of snow, the usual birdsong was missing. Then I heard a sparrow chirp and found a group of them sitting under a restaurant awning. I had cereal in a bag with me, so I scattered it under the awning, and out hobbled a pigeon who had been under a table, her legs clearly frozen. At each step, she stumbled and had to right herself. Because she ate, I didn't want to scare her by attempting to catch her and feared she would flutter off into the snow, so I watched her eat and then moved on. Last night, making my way home, I found her back under that table, frozen, snow all over her back. In D.C. and many other cities across the nation, there is no water for the birds and no grass for them to reach under the many feet of snow. At PETA's Washington office and around town, including in Lafayette Park and Union Station, we are doing our best to help them. This morning I had an idea: I picked up whole-grain bread and stuck slices of it in the saplings on the streets.
Birds and countless other animals around the city are struggling to survive. It is crucial that in these dire weather conditions, you take action in behalf of animals who would otherwise be left to succumb to the elements by providing them with something to eat and making sure that they have access to fresh water.
Written by Ingrid E. Newkirk
Whoever said you can't wear white after Labor Day apparently never saw this army of vogue volunteers:
These snowmen and -women put the "white" into "White House" yesterday, telling dozens of blizzard-braving, picture-taking passersby that the only thing colder than snow is fur. And what's cooler than these Jack and Jane Frosts? We've yet to come up with an answer to that one.
Well, we tried—but our permit to set up a factory farm display on the steps of the U.S. Capitol has been denied. Apparently, the Capitol Police thought that such a display posed "significant public health concerns about the possible spread of the H1N1 virus."
Hmm. That just might have been our point.
So, it's not safe to allow members of congress and lobbyists to be exposed to factory farms, but it looks like tough luck for the millions of Americans in rural areas who have to live amidst the poisonous waste of factory farms. And although the president has declared swine flu a national emergency, the government continues to prop up the industry that caused the crisis (to the tune of $62.6 million in one year alone—with the possibility of $250 million more in the coming fiscal year).
What do you think?
Written by Amanda Schinke
This morning, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with President Obama at the Canadian Embassy in D.C., he got a welcome that I'm sure he won't forget any time soon.
Written by Liz Graffeo
The following is a guest post from peta2's Lara.
Greetings from our nation's capital! Pop quiz: What do Michelle Obama and PETA have in common? No, it's not our toned biceps. Yes, we are both anti-fur, but that's not what I'm getting at either. It's that we both have volunteered with a great organization called Miriam's Kitchen. Miriam's Kitchen is a D.C.-based nonprofit that provides free meals and support services to homeless people.
Since PETA is relatively new to the neighborhood, we wanted to pitch in and help out the community. And what better way to do that than with vegan pancakes?
Today, we had the great opportunity to prepare and serve the first vegan breakfast in Miriam's Kitchen history.
On the menu:
At first, the vegan breakfast was met with some skepticism, but afterwards, the empty plates spoke for themselves. Here are some reviews from some of the people I spoke with:
"It's actually good!""I wish they had soy milk every day. I am allergic to cow's milk, and it tastes better.""They're trying to makes us healthy up in here!"
Indeed we are.
Written by Lara Sanders
PETA's reenactment of our "Fur Is Dead" public service announcement (PSA) stunned D.C. tourists last week. News crews from WRC-TV, Roll Call, and others caught all the action—giving new meaning to the term "beat reporting."
Thanks to all who made our action a smashing success!
Written by Karin Bennett
In the way that slavery, once a broad social norm, later became an unthinkable crime, we can expect to see a similar shift once meat-eating disappears from our planet. Perhaps, some day, the very idea of eating animal flesh will seem as remote as the idea of owning humans does now. —Jim Motavalli, ForeignPolicy.com
Seems like the folks at ForeignPolicy.com—as well as many others—are starting to realize that the meat industry isn't just bad for the environment and our health, it's an industry based on exploitation and cruelty.
Maybe … just maybe … they got the idea for their article from our Animal Liberation Project display in Washington, D.C., or our recent setup in New York City's Battery Park.
Written by Shawna Flavell
Yesterday, we broke the news that France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, had written to PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews to assure him that although she wore fur back in her modeling days, she now refuses to wear even the smallest bits of fur.
Now, America's first lady, the fabulously fashionable Michelle Obama, has also declared via her press secretary that she, too, is fur-free. Here's the official statement: "Mrs. Obama does not wear fur."
Talk about some high-class first ladies!
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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