Senior Moments
By Charles P. Eberson
I am offended. I do not know quite why yet but I’ll think of something. Everyone seems to be offended by something today and I do not want to be left out. Newly added to the top of my “most egregiously offended” is the group known as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.) I love animals and even find some of them quite delicious if they are seasoned well but PETA recently put out a message for us to stop using animal words as “slurs.” This activist group claimed that animal-related insults “degrade animals by applying negative human traits to certain species.” We humans apply negative human traits to our own species as common practice but apparently PETA is less concerned. The message goes on to say, “calling someone an animal as an insult, (chicken, rat) reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals and justified in violating them.”
The myth that humans are superior. In some cases, I must agree. I believe my dog was superior to some humans I know. It is alarming enough to think that some people engage in this thought process but to then put it out in the mainstream speaks volumes as to where we are right now. I could just see it now, somewhere in a Perdue facility a group of chickens are gathered together clucking “Did you hear what he said? I am so offended. We have to put a stop to this” before they are slaughtered, sauteed in butter and lemon and gently placed on a bed of Basmati rice.
PETA is also encouraging people to substitute snitch for rat, jerk for snake, repulsive for pig and lazy for sloth. Their claim is “snakes are clever, have family relationships and prefer to associate with their relatives.” I must admit, snakes have the edge on me in that regard. They hold pigs in similar high regard. I do as well but rather in the form of bacon. PETA has lost all connection with insults. Somehow calling someone a “poopyhead” doesn’t carry the same cachet of a well-crafted insult. Sure, I could call someone a jackass, vulture, porker, mongrel, cur, shrew, louse, jackal or buzzard without worrying about hurting any of these animals’ feelings even if they were in earshot and I doubt if they feel violated in any way. Throwing red paint on someone wearing a fur coat? Now, that is a violation they are okay with. When I Googled “insults” I was impressed with the creativity and thought that went into many of them and I realized that I have to up my game if I am going get some traction in this much maligned milieu.
So, trust me, if your behavior is such that it elicits an insult or offensive comment from me; number one, it is well deserved and number two, a great deal of thought went into it. We are in the age of such hypocrisies and double standards which are leaching into the very essence of our lives and I will defend my right to insult or offend, when warranted to my last breath…no monkeying around.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
