By Gene Hall

Here I was, wondering what I would write about this week and suddenly the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)—a gift that keeps on giving—popped into mind.

It seems that someone at PETA took exception  to a 14-year-old boy raffling a beef animal that had been given to him to help him pay for a trip to Europe.

When a PETA representative responded to the boy, a link to their “Lettuce Ladies” website was included, apparently by mistake. My mother wouldn’t want me to actually give you that link. Google it if you are curious. The Lettuce Ladies are attractive young women wearing nothing but strategically placed lettuce to protest the consumption of meat.

By Gene Hall

I sometimes enjoy a bowl of broccoli soup, rice and beans (though they’re a lot better with ham) or other non-meat fare.  I make it a point to never do this on PETA’s and HSUS’s pointless holiday, Meatless Monday.  Perhaps I would reconsider if HSUS joined me in Sirloin Saturday, Filet Mignon Friday, T-Bone Tuesday, Chicken and Dumplings Sunday or Pork Chop Wednesday.  Sorry, I couldn’t alliterate the last two. 

By Mike Barnett

I’m either very confused about PETA and veganism or PETA is confused about veganism and eating meat.

Most of us have seen PETA propaganda where they douse people with blood at one of their anti-meat events. They’re famous for their advertisements of actresses in various stages of undress promoting their latest cause. Most of us have seen their images of Ronald McDonald portrayed as a raving lunatic clown chicken-slayer.

By Mike Barnett

I am amazed that the inflexible ideology of an animal rights group could be the death warrant for the endangered species they profess to protect. That was the take home message for me from a 60 Minutes segment about the Texas exotic game industry.

Three species of antelope endangered or extinct in their native African homes—the scimitar horned oryx, the addax and the dama gazelle—are thriving here due to the efforts of Texas landowners who have found a steady source of income breeding these exotics for trophy hunts.

By Mike Barnett

2011 was a year of great contradiction for Texas Farm Bureau and Texas agriculture. As an organization, it was a year of great success. As an individual farmer or rancher, it was a year of bitter disappointment.

Through the hard work of our members, Texas Farm Bureau had the greatest legislative year in our history. True eminent domain reform, groundwater rights and a grain indemnity fund—as well as a host of other agriculture-related legislation—were achieved because of grassroots efforts.