Another day, another chance for members of PETA to try pushing their ridiculous agenda only to have it blow up in their faces.
In this case, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) was trying to petition the state of Oklahoma to install lists of their so-called “Ten Vegan Commandments” in public school classrooms across the state.
The “Ten Vegan Commandments?” you might ask. How could you possibly come up with ten different ways of demanding people don’t eat meat or animal products?
If you’re PETA, you probably could come up with at least 20 more, but the point was not the content of the “vegan commandments,” but the format.
Let’s back up a bit: Oklahoma Rep. Jim Olsen has proposed a bill in the Oklahoma House of Representatives that would require classrooms across the state to display the Ten Commandments.
PETA, apparently, saw that as both a personal affront and an opportunity.
In an open letter to Olsen, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk asks Olsen to consider PETA’s proposal, describing these “vegan commandments,” which include injunctions such as “Thou shalt not use animals for entertainment nor conveyance” and “Thou shalt regard all animals as individuals who deserve respect and compassion and aren’t here for humans to exploit,” as “an ethical set of principles designed to encourage individuals from all backgrounds to practice nonviolence and lead moral, principled lives.”
Newkirk further attempts to use the Bible to support her ludicrous argument, citing Genesis 1:29, claiming “Eden was vegan,” (conveniently forgetting Acts 10:13, where God tells Peter to “kill and eat” a variety of “unclean” animals), suggesting that “displaying these principles in all public schools would be a simple way to promote peace, understanding, empathy, and compassion.”
PETA, as reported in the Daily Caller, then forwarded this open letter to Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, who decided to take to X (formerly Twitter) to share his response.
Would you ever consider becoming vegan?
Hey @peta , thanks for reaching out. This is a special message for you! pic.twitter.com/kypqvWOlPA
— Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) February 7, 2024
Sitting at his desk, Superintendent Walters shares the letter PETA sent, then says “Well, I have a special response for PETA.”
Pulling out a McDonald’s bag, Walters then takes out a cheeseburger and takes a hearty bite, concluding “the burgers are great here in Oklahoma, and you’re welcome any time.”
Walter’s response might be the most polite troll anyone has ever pulled.
It’s certainly more polite than some folks think PETA deserves, considering the stunts they’ve pulled in the past, from demanding the MLB change the term “bullpen,” claiming Thanksgiving turkeys suffer “sexual assault,” and insulting famed conservationist and wild animal expert Steve Irwin on the anniversary of his death.
PETA’s insistence that everyone fall in line with their extreme animal rights’ agenda has made them the laughingstock of the internet.
Even vegans don’t want anything to do with them, with one vegan user responding to Walters’ video saying “Everyone can decide for themselves and should not be bullied by @peta to become vegan.”
I am a vegan and I love animals but my family is not vegan and they love animals. That’s OK. Food chain! Everyone can decide for themselves and should not be bullied by @peta to become vegan.
— Fina Noriko (@fina_noriko) February 7, 2024
Another user rhetorically asked “Are we living in a South Park episode?” Another commented “peta has lost their minds.”
Are we living in a South Park episode?
— Zachary (@osuzack) February 8, 2024
🤣 peta has lost their minds
— Dr.Carol X Lunz PhD She/Him,GED Alumni,POC-Ally (@marinasmigielsk) February 7, 2024
Of course no one supports cruelty to animals, and part of our purpose on this earth is to be good stewards of God’s creations.
But PETA takes it to an unhealthy extreme, to the point where they have been accused of valuing animals’ lives more than peoples’, and, like Greenpeace, have little actual evidence to back up their intense extremism.
With an agenda as overtly ludicrous as PETA’s, the only response they really deserve is ridicule, ridicule beautifully delivered by Oklahoma’s School Superintendent.
Keep up the good work, Mr. Walters.
