Teens picket a valley KFC restaurant, protesting the way animal rights groups claim the company treats the chickens it serves in its establishments. Photo by Amairani Hernandez/ R-Jeneration
Young protesters chanted the words over and over again outside a KFC Restaurant on Spring Mountain Road on a Saturday morning in September. As many as 30 people attended the demonstration to protest the way they think chickens are treated before they are served as meals at the national chain for restaurants.
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The majority of the protesters held up posters, while the rest handed out leaflets to passers-by.
According to the Web site of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (peta.org And eating meat is one of the worst things you could do to our environment. If you put all the facts together, you'll realize that it makes complete sense."
According to PETA, "Leading environmental organizations, including the National Audubon Society, the WorldWatch Institute, the Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have recognized that raising animals for food damages the environment more than just about anything else."
Seventy percent of the grains and cereals produced in the United States are given to farm animals, according to the Web site, and growing all the crops to feed animals requires massive amounts of water and land. Nearly half of the water in the United States is used to raise animals for food, the Web site states.
"People always make excuses for not switching to vegetarianism," Hernandez said.
"The most common excuse I've heard is: 'I want to go veggie, but I can't let go of chicken,' which sometimes pisses me off, because they don't realize that there is a substitute for just about any type of meat. I have veggie barbecues all the time."
When vegetarianism comes to mind, people often assume that a vegetarian's diet consists of nothing but plants, which is false.
"I like raw foods, but I also like to eat foods such as meatless ground beef, soy sausages and soy ribs," Herndandez said. "I also love dairy alternatives, such as chocolate soy milk, sour cream and ice cream."
Masso said people no longer need to eat animals.
"In this day and age, you can find alternatives for just about anything," he said.
"Do it for the animals, the environment and yourself. I'm not saying that I am right and those who eat meat are wrong. I just want people to open their minds to what they're supporting, and afterwards they can make their own decision with their eating habits."
