Covering Up Reality, One Pothole at a Time

by Jasmin

We know the economy is in trouble when the only one patching up potholes is Colonel Sanders. According to Reuter’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken is spending an undisclosed amount of money filling potholes in up to five U.S. cities – all with the KFC “seal of approval.” Louisville, Kentucky was their first victim. In a letter to the Mayor of Louisville, the president of KFC stated:

“KFC has been bringing communities together over buckets of chicken for more than 50 years. We invite you and your city to become a part of a new tradition and accept our offer to Re-'Fresh' your roads. Together, we can give your community a much needed break and help keep America moving.”

Bringing communities together? Over a bucket of dead birds? Help keep America moving? By filling potholes with lies?

Of the 10 billion farm animals slaughtered in this country each year for food, more than 9 billion of them are birds. That’s about 286 per second, 24/7.

Much like green-washing, something sinister is afoot when a company that makes its fortune from the abuse, exploitation and slaughter of sentient creatures portends to step forward with a "noble" gesture to pick up pieces of a broken economy. In fact, factory farming is directly connected to economic hardship.

Some people really are taking a noble path, engaging in behavior that actually creates social awareness and change.

One person walking this path is Amy Hatkoff, whose new book, The Inner World of Farm Animals: Their Amazing Intellectual, Emotional, and Social Capacities, will be released next month. According to her publisher, Hatkoff’s book combines “the latest research on the emotional and intellectual capacities of farm animals with touching — and often surprising — stories to bring their inner world to life.” Stories and photos of rescued farm animals living at Farm Sanctuary are featured throughout the book and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to animal protection organizations. In fact, we hear that Ellen DeGeneres, a Farm Sanctuary supporter and one of our favorite vegan celebrities, will feature thebook on her show today!

Here’s a positive action item for you: Go to your local library and ask them to carry The Inner World of Farm Animals. And while you’re there, drop off a stack of How We Treat the Animals We Eat and our Guide to Veg Living.

If you happen to be in Louisville, or another city where these KFC pothole (and cruelty) cover-ups start appearing, be sure to contact your mayor and the editor of your local paper and tell them to stop using your city streets to advertise misery.

Comments

[Tracy]

Great post! Thanks for letting us know about the book.