An item in the news a few days ago informed us that a bunch of people such a PETA, or some similar outfit, had demanded that a mayor of a small town change its name. As if it were any of their business, they went so far as to suggest a new name for the town. The town under verbal siege was Turkey, Texas. I can’t be sure what the specific objection was but judging from the suggested new name, and the fact that the news came just before Thanksgiving Day, that it had something to do with eating turkeys. The new name they suggested was (hold your hat) Tofurkey. So far as I have heard the mayor has not made any attempt to change the name of his town. Congratulations to the mayor.

It seems to me that there are way too many people in the world who think there is nothing better too do than to make themselves busy-bodies. They know more and how better to do things than anybody else. Do they also run the government? Even if they really were “holier than thou”, it’s none of their business what name a Texas town has or whether they eat turkey or tofu.

No one can argue that killing for food is unnatural. The whole cycle of life is based on it. Suppose, for example, that all carnivores were removed from the earth. What would happen to the bunny population? Owing to the habits of rabbits there would be a population explosion among them and many other grazers. Soon the expanding population of grazers would overwhelm the replacement rate of grazing material and the whole system would die off. So keep the meat eaters around.

Every living thing is food for some other living things. The strong predators are at the top of the food chain, but being at the top does not exempt them from becoming food. They die and the buzzards and other scavengers have a feast. Whatever is left after their feast, is consumed by insects or fungus. Of course plants are food for the rest of living things, and fungus gets its share of dead plants. Oh yes, bacteria are down there close to the bottom of the food chain. No living thing goes to waste. 

I should mention that humankind manages to have first dibs on food, but remember that there are worms and germs in the ground that like to eat.

I urge the people of Turkey, Texas and everywhere else to ignore busy-bodies, keep your town name, and eat what you want that you can afford.