Prominent animal rights organization PETA is raising eyebrows with its appeal to the public to remove 鈥渟peciesism鈥� in conversation by swapping popular phrases involving animals, such as 鈥渒ill two birds with one stone,鈥� with alternatives like 鈥渇eed two birds with one scone.鈥�
, the group encouraged people to refrain from using common sayings that 鈥渢rivialize鈥� cruelty to animals.
鈥淛ust 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 鈥榖ringing home the bagels鈥� instead of the bacon,鈥� the tweet read.
PETA also posted a graphic with the title 鈥淪top Using Anti-Animal Language,鈥� which lists popular expressions involving animals, along with suggested alternatives.
For example, the organization proposed using 鈥渇eed a fed horse鈥� instead of the popular phrase 鈥渂eat a dead horse鈥� or 鈥渢ake the flower by the thorns鈥� in place of 鈥渢ake the bull by the horns.鈥�
PETA鈥檚 other suggestions included 鈥渂ring home the bagels鈥� instead of 鈥渂ring home the bacon鈥� and 鈥渂e the test tube鈥� instead of 鈥渂e the guinea pig.鈥�
The animal rights organization鈥檚 tweet was met with plenty of ridicule and scorn online after it was posted
Words matter, and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it. Here鈥檚 how to remove speciesism from your daily conversations.
鈥� PETA (@peta)
What a ridiculous thread.
鈥� Emyr Jenkins (@jenkinsbrynmair)
What a ridiculous organisation.
I LOVE animals, but this goes a bit too far. Do you really want to become the laughingstock of the animal-loving world? Do we still have your permission to refer to the elephant in the room?
鈥� Joanne Gruskin (@JoanneLG)
This is the stupidest thing I鈥檝e ever read. And I鈥檝e been on twitter for over 8 years.
鈥� Rae 鈻斥儝鈨� (@ItsRavenBro_)
鈥淪peciesism鈥� for the love of god is this a parody?!
鈥� GD (@Gasmangaz)
Others took issue with PETA鈥檚 suggested alternative phrases.
If you "feed a fed horse" isn't that overfeeding which could be considered a form of abuse?
鈥� Diisplaced (@Diisplaced)
If you picked that flower by the thorns you just murdered it.. just saying 鈽濓笍��
鈥� Johnny Renfield (@RenfieldJohnny)
Aren鈥檛 scones bad for birds? Birds should only eat seeds and bugs! You should be ashamed of yourselves!
鈥� Judah Maccabeyoncé (@OhNoSheTwitnt)
A number of comments criticized the animal rights organization for making the plight of vegetarians and vegans more difficult with its controversial campaigns.
I feel like PETA鈥檚 actual mission is to ensure that vegetarians and vegans are never taken seriously. I mean, they go onto compare this language to sexist/racist/homophobic slurs.
鈥� James Page (@pagie94)
This is the sort of thing people hate animal rights advocates. You're actually making our lives more difficult in doing this. Choose a better hill to die on.
鈥� Rusty Broadsword (@WrongChops)
See this is why people dont take you seriously
鈥� hassaan (@NaurusGump)
