People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has chosen the time of coronavirus pandemic to advertise and promote veganism around the states of the US. Numerous billboards around California, Iowa, New Jersey, and Nebraska with the caption 'tofu never caused a pandemic, try it today,' are erected for the people to see.
But rather than being amazed by the logic as expected by PETA, people are seeing red over the intention of the animal rights group calling it insensitive. Netizens took to social media to blame PETA not for promoting veganism but choosing the time and context of the pandemic to advertise its agenda. One of the billboards has been placed near the Tyson meat processing plant in Black Hawk County, Iowa. The county has been linked to at least 90 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iowa.
'To Believe or Not to Believe'
One Twitter user Joz @joseberries said: "The issue isn't tofu - it's your lack of sensitivity in this pandemic, in which people are STILL fighting for their lives each day. It's inappropriate and not the right time." Another user Cmoney questioned, what has PETA contributed to the pandemic.
A Twitter user Dory slammed PETA and said that it is not only racist but also disrespectful for those who have lost lives due to COVID-19 because it insinuates that they died because they ate meat.
However, PETA's claim was also supported by some netizens. One of the Twitter users, Animalife (@JohnLifeMatters), wrote, "It's a good time. When else to point out a problem than when it hurts." Tracy Reiman said it is like condemning talk about gun control after a mass shooting. Never has there been a more important time to talk about eating vegan.
PETA Justification
Meanwhile, justifying its actions, PETA has linked many diseases from avian flu to Ebola to meat consumption. It wrote on its Twitter wall, "The avian flu, swine flu, SARS, HIV, Ebola, and other diseases are linked to meat production or consumption. Meat is also chock-full of antibiotics—exactly what you should avoid protecting your health during a pandemic."
It claims that various diseases including coronavirus can be prevented with veganism are not taken in the right spirit as people are still fighting the virus and are not able to come back to normalcy with lockdown restrictions not revoked completely. Meanwhile, the US has been attacking China claiming that coronavirus has emerged from meat, seafood markets in Wuhan. Currently, the US has 1,729,823 confirmed cases and reported 100,750 deaths.
