Members of the Vegas Golden Knights place turkeys on a table to distribute to families in need in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 23, 2020. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
By Samuel Short November 29, 2024 at 5:00am
This Thanksgiving Butterball is the one getting cooked.
Scripps News reported, an old video of Butterball employees physically and sexually abusing live turkeys resurfaced last week — courtesy of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The video was filmed in 2006 when PETA allegedly conducted an “undercover investigation” of a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas. Butterball has since responded to the video, stating this incident took place before the company became private and certified by American Humane.
PETA did not simply post the video to remind everyone of Butterball’s past mistreatment of its turkeys.
The post — made last week — does not specify a date, which led some viewers to believe it was recent.
It was captioned, “Do you know what happened to your Butterball turkey before they were killed?”
Scripps reported, comments on PETA’s Instagram, where the video was posted, are calling for a boycott of the brand.
(WARNING: Following the link leads to a video that contains graphic images and language, which may disturb some readers.) The video can be viewed here.
Butterball gave the following statement to Scripps in response to the footage: “We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being reshared across social media. This video is not current and was taken prior to Butterball becoming a private company and prior to our engagement and certification through American Humane. Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. Eleven years ago, Butterball was the first, and remains the only, turkey company to be American Humane certified.”
Should Butterball sue PETA for libel?
The statement continued, explaining the certification process with American Humane.
“That means we have yearly audits conducted by a third party to ensure compliance with our 200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys, well exceeding industry best practices. We are proud of this designation that no other turkey company can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment.”
In other words, Butterball has taken great strides to improve the quality of treatment for turkeys in their facilities.
The video is 18 years old.
PETA should worry more about its own record with animals, as they kill thousands of dogs and cats every year.
As if the hypocrisy wasn’t enough, they’ve also tried to capitalize on the leftist tactic of language policing under the guise of inclusivity for animals.
Words can create a more inclusive world, or perpetuate oppression.
Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them.
Stand up for justice by rejecting supremacist language. pic.twitter.com/HFmMWDcc5A
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
The reader could not be blamed for thinking this is satire; however, somebody working for PETA — who apparently has a functioning brain — made this X post.
PETA finds itself in an identity crisis as animals rights are no longer in vogue. Progressive activists are more concerned with mutilating confused children in the name of transgender ideology and welcoming criminals across the border.
The smear of Butterball proves how desperate PETA has become.
Sam Short is an Instructor of History with Motlow State Community College in Smyrna, Tennessee. He holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and an MA in History from University College London.
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