PETA And The Pigs

Sometimes I wonder what this country is coming to. And I wonder what I am coming to. Never would I have thought I'd side with PETA on anything, but when they came out against the military's shooting of live pigs to teach medical techniques for soldiers in the field, I had to cheer them on.

According to an AP article the army is shooting live pigs to teach personnel how to help critically injured personnel within the first hours of their injuries. I don't question the necessity of the instruction but I certainly question the technique.

I know I go a bit over board on animal cruelty issues, but this seems to me to be a step beyond necessity. PETA states there are more advanced and humane options available. I can't help but believe that's true. After all, we don't put people in cars and wreck them to teach trauma specialists how to treat them. Or shoot kids to learn how to handle gang violence.

They shot pigs, during the recent Midwest floods, that escaped from farms and climbed on the levees for fear their sharp hooves would poke holes in protective covering. Is it pigs or is it us? Somehow I think if it had been dogs there would have been a rescue attempt. There must be a better way. When you think of all the soldiers that have suffered gunshot wounds and how they suffer, how can you do that to another living creature?

We can put men on the moon and build space stations. We can certainly teach medical procedures without killing to do so.