Poison Pen from PETA

As regular readers of this blog know, I am currently curating a mail art project with the theme: “What I Saw at the Circus.” The mail art submissions so far have been, to say the least, fascinating, if not always clearly on topic. But today I received a submission that I think deserves special comment -- and reprobation.

Jeffrey Vauxhall, of Urbana Illinois, labeled his submission “What PETA Sees at the Circus.” In a postscript to his mail art, he explains that he is a ‘proud member’ of PETA, and especially proud of the fact that PETA was instrumental in driving RIngling Brothers out of business earlier this year. He went on to explain that he is a student at the University of Illinois -- Urbana Campus, and is studying political science in order to eventually run for public office and help shape policy that will, in his words, “give impetus to the Buddhist philosophy of exploiting no animal for pleasure, gain, or sustenance.”

I think my readers will agree with me that this young man’s reprehensible and intolerant mindset is exactly NOT the kind we want in government. Instead he should be locked up in a laughing academy . . . or encouraged to write harmless fantasy novels.

I find his artwork to be revolting, pandering to the lowest common denominator in humanity.

Here is the artwork in question. You be the judge.