On December 15, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals requested the Illinois Department of Transportation to provide a memorial marker to dedicate the two spots where over 20 cattle were killed in truck flipovers in suburban Chicago and Northwest of Peoria.
The Illinois Roadside Memorial Act specifies that only relatives who lost loved ones in highway crashes may request memorials.
Excerpt:
PETA campaign coordinator Tracy Patton of Arlington Heights, who wrote the letter seeking the markers, wants the department to disregard that requirement.
“Because there are no surviving family members for animals in the meat trade, we ask that you waive this requirement of the program and allow concerned Illinois citizens like me to apply in lieu of a relative,” she wrote.
PETA argues that cows have no one to speak for them. ‘There’s no surviving relatives in the meat trade, which sends millions of cows kicking and screaming to the slaughterhouse.” Then place your memorials in front of the slaughter house!
Illinois is one of only two states where PETA is trying this “campaign to obtain memorials for dead cows, that are reserved for humans.” Too bad PETA can’t get the state to put cows on the endangered species list. The overwhelming majority of people might never be allowed to eat a hambuger or steak again in the state of Illinois!
PETA probably took one look at the Chicago politicians in the state assembly and thought what better place to try their cuckoo idea. Will PETA want future memorials placed at Steak and Shake, Lone Star, or Burger King?
What is the purpose of the markers. Regular people will simply laugh at the state for putting up markers for cows, the cows, don’t know who their relatives are and can’t read any better than most students taking the ISATs, so the symbolism must be for the always guilty PETA people – guilty that others’ of their species actually eat meat.
Perhaps a fitting memorial for the cows would have been an old-fashioned Bar-B-Que set on the side of the road, served with lemonade at 25-cents a glass or beer for the adults; or possibly allow the PETA folks to have the decomposing cows for fertilizer for their vegan farms, where they kill innocent plants to consume and sell – making money for their real campaign – convincing the world that all animals, including humans are equal, but that doesn’t include plants, of course.
Last I heard IDOT sent this to a steering committee for resolution.
The real story would be the legislators who would atually vote in favor of it. They would be the true nuts.
Hey Ted, PETA got you to mention their name here so they got their goal accomplished. Free press.
When you stop and think about where they started and where they are now it’s pretty amazing. We see in the credits of films statements that no animals were harmed in making the movie. Labels read no animals harmed in testing of products. Plus the average American knows you can’t abuse your pet without paying a price for it.
PETA is far more sharper than you give them credit for when they ask for what looks like foolishness. I wouldn’t selll them short as fewer people eat meat nowadays and doctors recommend it. Faux fur is very in nowadays.
Not to be insensitive, but the The Illinois Roadside Memorial Act is getting a little out of control too, with teddy bear collections, gym suits, photo albums, landscaping, etc. A small sign on a pole would suffice.
Remember: “A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy.”?
I suggest a memorial steak fry as a proper tribute.
Cow’s are people my friend.