Pigs Get A Bad Rap

You have to feel sorry for pigs these days. I mean they always have gotten a bad rap right back to Biblical times, they were viewed as unclean. And how many times have you driven in the country and seen pigs rolling in a big mud hole while their bovine farm mates graze in the grass and contently chew their cud. We even speak of pigs in a derogatory term. When someone eats too much, he's referred to as pigging out. Or if he has bad table manners, he's a pig. Dresses like a pig, looks like a pig, acts like a pig. I mean the poor pig, How did it all come to this?
And now the poor pig and his product are being slammed harder because of swine flu. Pork producers are worried as sales drop off because the little piggie isn't going to market.
Melissa Weast who raises hogs for the Wild Weast Hog Show says pigs do get a bad rap. She says "People think of pigs as dirty, stinky animals. The only time they are stinky is if their owners allow them to be" "They love baths, she says, and they actually prefer to be clean"
I've always liked pigs and they have played an important role in history and child development. Remember the three little pigs and how closely they mirror society. The first little pig was an underachiever. He built his house out of straw and it was blown away.
The second little pig was average, probably like most of us. He built his house out of wood and unfortunately tragedy struck and he lost his house. Hasn't tragedy hit us all at one time or another. The third little pig was the overachiever. Probably a Type A personality. He rose to the top, built his house out of bricks, defeated the big bad wolf and saved the day.
Aren't the three little pigs just like life? Some lose, some exist, some win.
And then there is my personal favorite, Porky Pig. How many Saturday mornings did we get up early to watch Porky Pig and his pals perform on Saturday cartoons. To see Porky all dressed up in his little outfits and overcoming whatever obstacles were placed in front of him. Hours and hours of entertainment value and life lessons all rolled into one because of this little Porky Pig. So lets lighten up on this Swine Flu thing. Call it something else and leave the pigs alone.
And as Porky Pig would say, th-th-th-th-th-th-thats all folks