Attacking Meat Eaters

College GOP only ones laughing
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: Opinion

This Wednesday, ISU's College Republicans are holding a cookout featuring hot dogs and hamburgers to increase awareness of their organization and generate interest.

However, the cookout is described as an animal rights event and is officially titled "Celebrating the Right to be Delicious," calling attention to the cookout's function and creating what is apparently supposed to be a humorous alternative to the typical animal rights event, which usually promotes humane treatment, not the post-slaugther product found in grocery stores.

Just like the rest of ISU's diverse student population (of which the university is proud to boast), animal rights' activists are real people as well, who make personal decisions to support the rights of animals; particularly the way in which they interact with the food industry. The animal rights movement is far from obscure or non-existent; animal rights proponents exist both far away and right here, on ISU's campus.

Moreover, the month of April is Animal Cruelty Prevention Month, as sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Animal cruelty, mistreatment and other related subjects are highlighted this month for study, education and prevention.

With this event, the College Republicans are effectively alienating not just Republicans who may be supporters of animal rights, but are also displaying an incendiary, confrontational attitude for the whole student body to see. As we move further and further from the discriminatory ways of the past and come towards a diverse, accepting future, actions like these paint their creators as insensitive, unprofessional and disreputable. Read More

Regardless of your politics, the point here is the lack of tolerance for students that would like to counter the animal rights believers on the Indiana State University campus. I highly doubt the college paper would write a scathing editorial about them handing out tofu. When the College Republicans tried to hand out hamburgers, it was being confrontational but vegetarians are just trying to educate. This double standard is unfortunate and it’s disappointing to know that this is the future of journalism in our country.