Zac Brown Band Asked by PETA to Go Meat-Free
No, I have not been rifling through Zac Brown's mailbox. But I do happen to know someone who knows someone at PETA, and they shared with me a letter they just sent to the Grammy-winning band. It said, "Dear Zac, Jimmy, John, Coy, Clay, and Chris, Greetings from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and congratulations on your Grammy win for best new artist!" It goes on to describe the great work PETA does before moving in for their real request, which is to get the band to host all-vegan "eat and greets" and to think a little harder about the simple pleasures they praise in "Chicken Fried." PETA's Michelle Cho writes, "Life on the farm isn't what it used to be. Green pastures and idyllic barnyards have been replaced by windowless, cramped, filthy metal sheds. Animals are treated as nothing more than products, with little regard for their health, happiness, or basic needs." She adds that chickens are fed antibiotics that make them get so big their legs become crippled from supporting their own weight. That's enough to make even the biggest meat-eaters think twice about what they eat. PETA also sent the band a basket of protein-rich faux meats. Not sure how well those will go with cold beer, sweet tea and pecan pie, but it's certainly worth a taste.
Photo credit: Robyn Beck/Getty Images
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Katie says:
I can never tell how I feel about PETA. If this is true, it sounds like one of their “nicer” letters, but it just seems weird to me the way they sometimes solicit people. It’s definitely an interesting thing that they’ve asked ZBB, but I personally could never be a vegetarian, though I promise I would never beat up an animal.
Jan says:
Fact: over 90% of farms in the US are family farms.
Fact: No matter how farmers raise animals to PeTA it’s wrong.
Fact: PeTA is of interest on the FBI Domestic Terrorist list.
MOST farmers do not abuse animals. Most cops don’t assault people. Most teachers don’t run off with their students. Taking a minority and painting it as the majority is wrong.
If ZBB falls for this I’ll cease to buy CDs from them and figure they’re one more who sing about something but don’t live it.
PetA also wants everyone to be vegan. No medicines, food, clothes, etc from animals. I don’t think the majority of people realize how deep that goes.
merlefan49 says:
Peta is on the fringe. They are no true friends of animals. If they could they would march into your home and take your pets. They want total animals liberation.
They have a campaign to rename fish “sea kittens” Just last week they want Punxsutawney Phil replaced with a robot ground hog because of the stress it causes him.
Peacock Queen says:
I agree with Jan. I adore animals and do not condone abuse in any way. I have several dogs and cats that were adopted as strays. I have adopted horses that were scheduled for slaughter in Canada. My peafowl live in their own house with doors and windows with a large flightpen. We feed them fruit in addition to grains. Spoiled rotten is the mantra for the animals on our farm. These people (PETA) are completely out of touch with the American farmer.
Jim says:
These PETA people are frickin idiots! If they want to live that way, then fine , go do it but don’t try and cram your lifestyle down my throat! I know Zac and there is NO WAY he’s going vegan. He didn’t hire Chef Rusty to feed the guys tofu sandwiches! The only good chicken is a DEAD one thats been on the smoker for about 2 to 3 hours and smothered in bbq sauce! And while your at it, wrap it up in some smoked bacon from that DEAD pig! I think ZBB should have a big order from Jim & Nick’s delivered to Peta’s office.
PETA = Pretty Eatable and Tasty Animals
Ernie says:
I’m very much against abusing animals, especially the household pet variety. However, these PETA people are complete nutjobs. They could get a whole lot more accomplished if they weren’t such kooks. The idea of replacing Punxsutawney Phil with a robot just proves it.
David Nisbet, Scotland says:
I stopped eating meat in 2008. I had to work up to replacing it with other foods (faux-meat as some call it) but I just couldn’t eat living creatures anymore. Not only are you killing unneccessarily you don’t know the half of what’s added to meat and what nasty stuff gets left in it! I’m also working towards a complete vegan diet, when I stopped eating meat I also cut out eggs, milk etc and anything with animal ingredients in them. Contrary to popular opinion I am as healthy as ever, even more so and am so happy now that I know i’m not eating a dead person or risking serious disease.
merlefan49 says:
You aren’t comparing people to animals are you?
“I’m not eating a dead person”
David Nisbet, Scotland says:
Same thing to me.
Jim says:
I wonder if William Wallace would have survied on tofu and leaves?
merlefan49 says:
Well I sure don’t of eating a person each time I have chicken. beef, pork, shrimp
Paul says:
Although I believe some animals were put on this earth as a source of food, I believe no animal should endure any suffering or abuse by humans. I also believe the circus and rodeos are the most mainstream form of animal abuse there is. Totally barbaric and disgusting.
Jim L. says:
Well said Paul. I absolutely agree. There’s no reason for this except to make money at the expense of animals. This is the 21 century yet some people are still living in the Dark Ages. A humane death for an animal as a food source is one thing. Flat out animal abuse for profit is disgusting.
The Gig is Up says:
David Nisbet, Scotland - that’s fine for you. Most people (especially country fans) are just fine with eating meat. While most do not condone cruelty to animals (even the farm kind), they have no problem with the natural food chain.
As for all the products that are added to meat in the disgusting process, there are alternatives. I support local farmers by purchasing meat directly from them and utilizing farmers that practice free range animal raising methods.
I do this because it is humane (the way our grandfathers grandfathers did it) and it is healthy. While I encourage people to think about what they are putting in their body (on the production end, not the meat itself - I believe in the food chain), in the end it is their choice and I respect that.
Hailey says:
Hopefully the letter will at least make the Zac Brown crowd think a little bit about what they are supporting when they make the decision to eat meat from factory farms.
Peta might be extreme, but that doesn’t mean all of their ideas are terrible - most people have no idea where the food comes from that they are eating & for animals what kind of suffering is involved. And most don’t want to know. And Jan, your comment isn’t really relevant on several levels. First, are you talking about all farms or just farms that “raise” animals for food? Second, even if 90% of farms in America are family farms that isn’t relevant if the 10% of mega factory farms are producing 80% of the animals raised for meat. Third, even some “family farms” are pushed into treating their animals like products by the requirements set forth by the meat distributors they work with like Tyson & Purdue - those small farmers have very little control over how those animals are treated because they are in so much dept that they have to do what those large companies want to keep their contracts & what those companies want is lots of animals raised as fast as possible as cheaply as possible regardless of the compromises of safety & humane treatment.
If you feel like you have to eat meat than purchasing meat directly from a local farmer is a great way to support your local community & to eat meat that is raised humanly & is better for you.
I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years & it is the best decision I have ever made! And the more I learn about food - the better I feel about it.
jp says:
yall are crazy. Hippies
Sam says:
I would encourage anyone who is unsure of where their food comes from and how it gets to their table to contact their local farm bureau and get in touch with a farmer who raises their food. Get a group of friends and go out to the farmer’s farm and learn from them where the food chain starts. If you want to know where your food comes from go to the source of the food, the farmer. If you rely on the main stream media and the stories they run, you’re only going to see the bad apples of agriculture and the stories that get ratings.
I applaude the Zac Brown Band for standing up for their beliefs and not caving into PETA’s opinions and ideas. It’s not good the way PETA goes around trying to discredit celebrities if they don’t follow the ways of PETA. Kinda reminds me of bullies in the grade school playground.
nick says:
I’m sorry to all of you who are saying how great it is to be vegetarian/vegan because you do have an immune system. I’m not trying to bash you guys at all, but don’t try to tell me that all the stuff in animals is horrible and such. Our species has been eating meat since its dawn. Our bodies are made for it. That is why we have sharp teeth in the front of our mouth and grinding teeth in the back. Same to the PETA, just leave everyone alone. Like ZBB said, “welcome to the planet”, this is how it works.
Becky says:
PETA and the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) don’t really understand how much farmers care about their animals. By the way HSUS is not your ordinary county humane society that houses homeless pets. This is an animal activits group similar to PETA. I fully support local animal shelters and have many friends who have adopted animals from them. However, I do not support PETA or HSUS because they want to end all animal agriculture. They think that farmers don’t care about animals. That is wrong. Animal Care is the most important issue farmers deal with daily. They care more about their animals than they care for themselves. In fact in Wisconsin, PETA wrote a letter to the governor asking him to change the license plate in Wisconsin from saying “Americas Dairyland” to “Americas Cow Hell”. If you want to see how farmers treat their animals go to a farm and see for yourselves. Farmers are willing to show you how they care for their animals if you are willing to listen.
Sarah says:
I agree with Hailey. PETA is sometimes extreme in their efforts to attract attention, but they do illuminate disturbing practices happening at factory farms. I’m not saying that all farms are evil, nor that all farmers do not care about their animals. But there is evidence of extremely cruel practices no animal should have to go through. Videos of animal suffering is available to view on the PETA website and others (if you have not watched them, perhaps your should, to see “how it works”). In other words, there are farms out there where animals are not treated well.
@ merlefan49 As for PETA wanting to raid people’s houses and spirit away pets - this may be true if the animals in question have been abused, but PETA avidly encourages people to adopt animals from shelters. Plus, PETA members have pets as well.
@ nick: It can also be argued that the teeth in the back of our mouths are perfect for chewing plant-based food, like grains or vegetables. If you look at, say, a cat’s teeth (a predatory animal), its teeth are much sharper than a human’s. Even though humans do have some sharp teeth, do you think a modern human would be able to tear into animal flesh as easily as a carnivorous, predatory animal?
Also, the nasty stuff in meat refers more to the antibiotics and chemicals factory farms inject into animals to make them bigger.
Keith says:
@JP: That 3rd grade “edumacation” has really paid off. You are quite the eloquent writer.
PETA is extreme but we (mainly China) do treat animals as a disposable commodity. The fur industry needs to be shut down. I recently (a couple of months ago) saw a video shot in China in which they bashed raccoons on the ground to “stun them” and then proceeded to skin them. Then throwing their carcasses in a pile. The video then proceeds to show a few of the carcasses blinking their eyes because they were not dead (even though they had no skin).
Fur is a choice; food isn’t. I agree the animals should be treated humanly but there’s nothing wrong with eating meat.