Young, Idealistic, Hungry and in Jail

According to a story in the New York Daily News, three young (17 to 24-years-old) Jewish inmates at Rikers Island Jail have been denied their request to be served vegetarian meals while incarcerated. They consider themselves to be vegans, who:

". . . avoid all animal-based foods, including seafood and dairy items. The inmates have said they believe non-vegan diets conflict with Jewish mandates to preserve the welfare of animals."

A US District Court Judge made the ruling, stating that "the jail had not caused the inmates 'irreparable harm'" and pointing out that "they had let months pass before suing the city."

As is typical, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) threw their two cents into the fray, stating:

�They should be providing these vegan meals for these people,� said the lawyer, Jeff Kerr of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. �Freedom of religion doesn�t mean you should have to worship at the altar of dead animals.�

Two of the inmates have been in jail since November 2002 and one since June 2002, serving sentences for rioting, criminal mischief and resisting arrest stemming from animal-welfare protests.

Let's analyze this story. First of all, if I eat a burger, I don't think it's accurate to state that I'm "worshipping at the altar of dead animals." This PETA crowd take themselves much too seriously.

Secondly, this story is about three young (17 to 24) idealistic promoters of a radical social/cultural agenda who have committed criminal acts and are in jail as punishment. So, as these young folks are taking their first baby steps into responsible adulthood, they have jumped on the bandwagon of a extreme fringe group which has given them a felony record and time in a cell to cool their heels.

Lastly, this story is about the PETA opportunists who, once again, are haranguing about what people should eat.

So the young idiots are serving their time and PETA continues to sound stupid. Everything's just fine.