EDITOR’S NOTE: People for Ethical Treatment of Animals asked for space to respond to our Aug. 2 editorial, “PETA billboard making Charleston crabby.”
So, about that billboard …
When People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was founded in 1980, we set out to change the way people view animals—and we’ve seen tremendous success. Years ago, most people wouldn’t bat an eye at the thought of wearing a fur coat or buying a circus ticket—but now, every major designer is fur-free and even Ringling Bros. has dropped the animal acts, all because people agree that no sentient being should be skinned for their fur and elephants shouldn’t be beaten into performing tricks.
We advocate for all animals, because every animal is an individual with a nervous system, eyes in their head and a heart—in other words, the ability to feel pain and fear and to have needs and interests. That’s the simple message of the “I’m ME, Not MEAT” crab billboard that recently raised eyebrows in Charleston. Studies show what should be obvious: that crabs feel immense pain when they’re torn apart or boiled alive for crab cakes and she-crab soup—so, with all the great vegan seafood options on the market today, from Gardein “fish” filets to Mind Blown plant-based crab cakes, why not veganize our favorite dishes and leave the crustaceans in peace?
There are so many reasons to choose to go vegan, as the Charleston City Paper’s editorial board recently pointed out. It slashes our risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; it spares animals the horrors of the slaughterhouse; and, according to scientists, it’s necessary to offset the worst effects of the climate catastrophe. While some may believe that locals aren’t ready to give up eating crab legs, we have a more optimistic view of how people change with the times. After all, when Charleston was founded in 1670, there was child labor, some human beings were held in slavery and women were thought too stupid to vote or go to medical school. We can evolve!
We invite readers to visit PETA.org to order a free vegan starter kit and see some of our favorite vegan seafood products, from crab-like cakes to cruelty-free scallops, from vegan calamari to fish-free tuna, from fishless filets to fancy caviar made from seaweed. Check out the vegan section wherever you buy groceries and be prepared to discover a whole new way of eating. These days, going vegan isn’t just tasty, healthy and good for the planet—it’s also easy.
The New England of the past couldn’t imagine life without whaling. But today, instead, it celebrates whales in harmless ways. We believe that Charlestonians can do the same with crabs. Every animal is someone—not something—and PETA encourages everyone to open their hearts and their minds to who these aquatic animals really are. See our billboard. And see the individual. Please, go vegan.
Ingrid Newkirk is the founder and president of PETA, which is in Norfolk, Va. More: PETA.org.
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