For PETA, words have become the straw that broke the camel’s back.
But the animal rights group would hate us saying it. At least, that way.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is on a mission to have folks think about what they say and why they say it.
Cliches. Metaphors. Hackneyed phrases.
Many invoke animals, specifically death or injury to them, the group complains.
Now, it wants this butchered use of anti-animal language to, um, go the way of the dodo.
Words matter, and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it. Here’s how to remove speciesism from your daily conversations. pic.twitter.com/o67EbBA7H4
— PETA (@peta) December 4, 2018
Just as it became unacceptable to use racist, homophobic, or ableist language, phrases that trivialize cruelty to animals will vanish as more people begin to appreciate animals for who they are and start ‘bringing home the bagels’ instead of the bacon.
— PETA (@peta) December 4, 2018
No matter how well-intentioned, the internet is not exactly hot to trot on the concept.
I eat plant based food and think there are bigger fish to fry than this issue. In fact the cat’s got my tongue on this absurdness.
— Ann Gibbon (@anngibbon) December 5, 2018
Okay, but if overfeeding an animal is abusive, then “feeding a fed horse” shouldn’t be allowed either. Also, feeding bread products to birds is bad for them.
— Rayne Muir (@theviridiansea) December 5, 2018
Thought this was some monkey business & you guys were horsing around but guess not. But I see thru your crocodile tears PETA, you don’t give a rat’s ass abt the cruelty to marginalized ppls (you equate w/ animals) but have a cow over animal sayings… there’s bigger fish to fry.
— heatherfeather (@heather28df) December 5, 2018
So am I going to be thrown in the dog house for using one of these phrases. I’m honestly sicker than a dog thinking about this
— Justin Phillips (@Justinphil17) December 5, 2018
Take the flower by the thorns? How anti-plant!
— Jordan Hoffman (@jhoffman) December 5, 2018
Holy cow you’ve really screwed the pooch there may be more than one way to skin a cat but that dog won’t hunt
— Bandit (@WadeWilson____) December 5, 2018
Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag, one thing is certain.
You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Photos PETA/Twitter