For the Birds
PETA holds silent
protest outside
a local KFC
BY T. KEVIN WALKKR
THECHKONIC1 1
About half a dozen protesters
from the People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA)
held an hourlong demonstration
outside of the KFC (Kentucky
Fried Chicken) restaurant on
Reynolda Road last week.
They stood silently along the
sidewalk, facing the busy street
They let their protest signs do
their talking. One sign stated in
bold letters that "KFC Tortures
Chickens"; another had the
words "Boycott KFC" set along
side a crossed-out image of the
Colonel, KFC's legendary
founder.
Similar protests have been
staged at KFC restaurants around
the world over the last two years
PETA claims that at least one ol
the suppliers that provide* chick
en to KFC restaurants, uses
unimaginably cruel methods to
slaughter birds. PETA's battle
against KFC was launched after
undercover video taken at a Pil
grim's Pride slaughterhouse in
Moorefield, W.Va., showed
workers chopping off the beaks
of live chickens with hot blades
and killing chickens with their
bare hands. Pilgrim's Pride sup
plies chicken to KFC and many
other fast-food chains.
Scenes from the grue
some video were
shown during the
protest via a portable
video screen that one of
the protesters strapped
to her body.
"It is just the worst
animal cruelty you
could have imagined."
said Ben Goldsmith, a
PETA spokesman who
r */L
Beaks
CutOff
''PET A members hold signs in front of the Reynolda Road KFC .
Pholo by Kevin Walker
this because we are the most rec
ognized brand selling today, and
our name. Kentucky Fried Chick
en. is synonymous with chicken."
PETA admits as much on its
Web site. The organization says
as the world's most famous
chicken brand. KFC has a
I fume
responswimy 01
leading the way in
ensuring that chick
ens are treated
humanely.
But Goldsmith
admitted that even if
KFC adopted
PETA's guidelines,
many in the organi
zation would still not
he fully satisfied
because animals
wnnlrl vtill hi'.Lilli'rl
mayed by the Pilgrim's Pride
video that he sent a letter to the
head of Yum! Brands Inc.. KFC's
parent company, expressing his
horror over the video. But since
(hen. the NAACP has distanced
itself from PETA and the boycott,
stating that Mfume was merely
writing to find out if the video
tape was authentic.
joined local protesters last week.
"We are asking them to stop tor
turing birds on the factory farm
and in the slaughterhouse." Gold
smith said PETA also has docu
mentation of chickens being
boiled alive and kept in such
cramped quarters that they die ol
heart attacks.
PETA wants KFC to adopt a
four-pronged animal welfare pro
gram that includes provisions
that the chain's suppliers would
provide chickens with more liv
ing space in sheds and more
humane slaughter methods.
KFC has publicly expressed
outrage over the Pilgrim's Pride
video. KFC responded to the
video by establishing anti-animal
abuse guidelines for its suppliers.
But KFC says that PE TA - long
known for ift aggressive protest
ing methods - has distorted
KFC's relationship to the slaugh
terhouse. KFC says that it buys
only 15 percent of the product
that Pilgrim's Pride produces.
Other fast-food chains buy the
other 85 percent.
At a news conference in July.
Gregg Dedrick. the president of
KFC, wondered why PETA is
singling out his company.
"We think it's outrageous that
PETA is unfairly singling out
KFC." Dedrick said during the
news conference. "They've done
"Of course, we advocate a
vegetarian diet. That is the way to
protect the most amounts of ani
mals," he said. "But certainly we
are a pragmatic organization, and
if KFC is going to continue to
slaughter more than 750 million
chickens per year for their restau
rants. we think it needs to he done
in the most humane way possi
ble."
Stan Leonard, the manager at
the Reynolda Road KFC. said
that sales were up on the day of
the PETA protest,- so he does not e
think it had a negative impact on
business. Leonard said he is more
concerned with other issues such
as children going to bed hungry,
but he respects PETA's right to
protest.
"This is America, and they
have the right to do that," he said.
PETA claims that its boycott
against KFC has hurt the compa
ny. Goldsmith said a cross sec
tion of people - from hunters to
vegetarians - have stopped buy
ing KFC products in response to
the boycott. The boycott, which
PETA calls the Kentucky Fried
Cruelty campaign, has also got
ten the support of some well
known names, including writer
Alice Walker and music mogul
Russell Simmons.
Kweisi Mfume. the leader of
the national NAACP. was so dis
Multiracial
from pa^e A2
funding; and would put UC out
of step with other universities.
UC applicants now have the
choice of checking one or more
of 13 race or ethnicity boxes,
including "other." Checking the
boxes is voluntary.
eral student groups opposing the
change. v
UC officials surveyed the
approximately I54.IXX) under
graduates enrolled last spring
about the issue. About 42.(XX). or
27 percent, of students respond
ed. with just under 1 1 .(XX) identi
fying themselves as multiracial
or multiethnic. Of those stu
dents. 44 percent said they want
However. UC
reports the data
based on the five
categories mandat
ed by federal offi
cials: American
Indian. Asian,
black. Hispanic or
white.
Some oppo
nents to Connerly's
proposal say adding
a multiracial or
multiethnic box
>ynej
eu to cnecK more man
one box. 21 percent
warned to check a mul
tiracial or multiethnic
box instead, of individ
ual categories, and 35
percent had no prefer
ence.
The demographics
of UC have been an
issue for years. In 1 995.
regents, led by Conner
ly. dropped affirmative
would confuse the data and is
inferior to the option of checking
one or more boxes.
"It's going to prevent the UC
system from accurately report
ing who's really here." said UC
Berkeley student Ai-Ling Mal
one. Malone. who is of Asian
and white descent, said multira
cial people are not homogeneous
and "to lump us all in a box
would really hurt the true repre
sentation of who's on campus."
Malone is president of UC
Berkeley's Multi-Cultural Stu
dent Union, which is one of sev
?action admissions, w hich led to a
sharp decrease in black and His
panic students. The numbers
have rebounded since then for
the system as a whole, but black
and Hispanic enrollment
remains low at the top campuses.
Connerly went on to chair
Proposition 209. passed in 1996.
which banned considering race
in state hiring, contracting and
education. His latest campaign.
Proposition 54. which would
have stopped the state from ask
ing people about race in a num
her of settings, including college
admissions, failed last year.
Locals among North
Carolina Award winners
Awards are state's highest civilian honor
SPECIAl 1 ? ' I Ml CHRONICLE
Penelope Niven, a Salem
Award in Creative Nonficlion
in her honor.
Walter Harrelson, a city
eouege writer-in
residence and noted
author, is one of
seven recipients of
the 2004 North Car
olina Award, the
state's highest civil
ian honor. Gov, Mike
Easley presented the
awards to Niven and
the other winners at a
reception on Nov. 1 7 C
in Research Triangle
Park.
Niven, a native ot Wax
haw, is the author of
Niven
resmeni, aiso won
i>ne of the honors.
Harrelson ' has
worked for years
to preserve theo
logical manu
scripts.
LeRoy Walker
was also among
ihe honorees.
Walker, a Durham
native, is a former
university chancel
lor, educator and track coach.
He became the first African
several hooks,
including biogra
phies of Carl Sand
burg, Edward Ste
ichen and James Earl
Jones. Her most
recent book
"Swimming Lessons:
Life Lessons From
the Pool, From Div
ing in to Treading
Water" - was pub
lished this year.
Walker
American elected
to serve as presi
dent and chief
executive officer
of the U.S.
Olympic Commit
tee in 1992.
The North Car
olina Awards are
granted to individ
uals who have
made outstanding
lifelong contribu
Since 1997. she has served
as a member of the English
faculty and writer-in-resi
dence at Salem College. Last
year the Salem College Center
for Women Writers created
the national Penelope Niven
of public service, literature,
science and fine arts. Since
the General Assembly began
grafting the awards in 1964,
more than 200 North Carolini
ans have been honored.
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