thanks to Black Pine Animal Sanctuary and to Indiana Pig Save for the timely sharing of my letter from last year "Pig wrestling, anyone? No, we will opt out." the letter appeared in media throughout the State of Indiana - here is the link they both shared.Scrat: "I think this is disgusting and makes the people of Kendallville and the fair-goers look like a bunch of redneck hillbillies. There's nothing fun or funny about this and I consider it animal abuse. SHOW SOME CLASS K'VILLE FAIR BOARD AND GET RID OF THIS TRASH."For Animals: "I agree with Mrs. Sexton. In my attempts to understand this seemingly archaic form of 'fun', I researched what experts say and everything I learned about the proper and respectful handling and movement of pigs flies directly in the face of everything about pig wrestling. They are afraid of bright light, yelling, equipment noise, being separated from their herd-mates, have a 'flight' radius that is clearly infringed upon (why they squeal and run), and can DIE with even slight temperature variations combined with other forms of stress. I don't get it. I certainly don't support it."Kirsten Cool: "My daughter saw a video on here last night of this at the Noble County Fair and was very upset. She was so sad that people would scare an animal in such a way for entertainment! It's disgusting!"Lori Stimpson: "No! How barbaric to torture a poor animal for amusement. I for one am not amused or entertained only saddened and sorry for the pig!"Missi Allen: "No. Leave those poor animals alone!"Kathy Foster: "That's too bad, they looked pitiful, we were so saddened by their situation."DeeDee Elder: "Why not just have the humans mud wrestle while the pigs cheer?"Robin Lahrman: "No, that would be scary to be chased by giants."Cheri Sibert: "I was thinking the same thing when I saw the picture on the front page. It is very cruel!"LeAnn Davis Leffel: "Makes me very sad! And to think others think of this an entertainment is terrible."Corinne DiLorenzo: "The only other thing on this level of cruelty is the barnyard scramble."Linda DeVoe Cridge: "What bullies. They are all smiling and celebrating their 'victory'. My jaw dropped looking at these pictures. What is WRONG with these people? Those poor pigs. Thanks for posting. This needs attention... Definitely makes Hoosiers look like a bunch of cruel rednecks."Joel Kerr: "Can you guys really not find anything better to do with your time than terrify a helpless animal for fun? What terrible parents you are for teaching your children that this is acceptable."Kara Singleton: "Oh my goodness, this is absolutely shameful! The qualities we should be teaching our children should be love and understanding, empathy and compassion for others. Instead, they are being taught that bullying highly intelligent creatures is a form of entertainment."Jacqueline Schuh: "Shame on you all! What did these pigs do to deserve being terrorized by these kids?"Laura Reed: "I will never understand the satisfaction one would get from this! I guess this is where our rapists/murders and deranged come from. Very very sad!"Ashley Tinsley Moore: "Took the words out of my mouth, Laura. It's a sad sad world we are living in."Glen Flaningham: "You people should be ashamed of yourselves for teaching children this kind of behavior and that animals are objects to use for fun and games."Kim Elizabeth Johnson: "You go, Susie!! I am coming to the sad conclusion that living in the Midwest is like living in the animal torture center of the USA. WTF is wrong with the brains and hearts of these people?? I live in Michigan outside Detroit. Not much better with the exception of Ann Arbor."Black Pine Animal Sanctuary: "Thank you for sharing this, and thank Susie for her blog! Impactful"Indiana Pig Save: "Unique sport? What a bunch of a***holes, taking pleasure in terrifying these beautiful beings. When I first moved here, I wasn't vegan, or even vegetarian. When I saw transport trucks with pigs, I would get excited, thinking 'look at the cute pigs!' I was so blind to everything. Rescuing Fern (who came from an Amish farm, and was going to be shot when she was a tiny baby because she was injured, and wouldn't be able 'to make them money') changed my world. I opened my eyes and heart to what goes on with animals every single day. I guess I can't understand why so many people know, and they simply do not care."you and me both! is it stupidity or mean-ness? apathy is pretty evil stuff when I stop to think about it...and very ignorant. really tired of zombies masquerading as human beings... what I truly am amazed at is the greed for food and money that allows the second by second mass slaughters to continue.thanks to these commenting folks for their intelligence and heart. sometimes I feel all alone in my local support of these special sentient beings...I am so appalled that way too many kids are being influenced by the "marketing farm mentality" in the midwest. no vegetarianism instruction ever.elementary kids have to go on field trips to meet their meat...cattle labeled "beef" and pigs as "pork, bacon, sausage" every spring around here. huge pig industry 10 miles north selling piglets to china ...or the pancreases of piglets -- and their moms as well...very lucrative...getting away with murder literally.shameful pig wrestling. newspapers post hundreds of photos just to gain some readers I imagine...talk about overkill. I look at as many as I can bear...breaks my heart...the cluelessness of the humans astounds me almost as much as the fear of the poor victimized pigs.I'm so glad I wrote that letter...I love pigs and all sentient beings...was hoping for buckets of rain to cancel this horror.the sad frightened face of one of the most intelligent animals on earth, an innocent pig...having been "manhandled" (direct quote) by a team of four young human beings calling themselves a "team" while adults both sponsored and watched this happen to one pig after another this week... I only wish I had walked a mile to do something right Tuesday...in person!I wish Christ would have visited the pig wrestling...and sent everyone home...like that moment with the money-changers...he told me he would...but there are pix all over Indiana newspapers ...tabloid advertising the 4-H fair this year had on its cover the BACON BABES and the caption is "Pig wrestling will offer muddy entertainment to crowds at the grandstand Tuesday night. Pictured are the 2013 Bacon Babes celebrating their victory in manhandling the swine to the center pedestal." and the names of some of the teams were HAM SLAM, BACON BASHERS, HUNTING HOTTIES, HOTT BROWN SUGAR, AND SPAM SPANK...oh, and THE MEAT HOUSE. A crew called the Pig Police tours Indiana and just competed at the Noble County Fair and thought our turn-out was amazing! They came in 4th.they criticize but they cannot BE criticized...I don't care if they kill me...I am so sick and tired of this stuff I could have a heart attack...just so the donations go to animal welfare instead of smelly flower arrangements at my funeral!are there ANY decent newspapers left?...that could serve as business models for fairness in reporting and that are focused on delivering information rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator?never thought I could do without newspapers...changed my mind for sure!Cheryl Robbins-Wood: "Susie, I don't think there are any newspapers anywhere that know the meaning of reporting and I mean reporting the news without trying to make the news."so true...and even the editorial cartoons are outrageous...sexist and racist...I am stunned.someone posted a cartoon of a woman scratching out the words "got milk" and replacing with "do you have any milk?" with the caption "when English teachers snap."funny...I am not only a grammar Nazi...I detest milk and all of the deaths associated with milk....never could stand milk...guess I knew from the start how evil it is...appalling stuff! blood money industry! and cheese is sprinkled on every damned thing we buy at a fast food joint or restaurant. demonic and crazy is the dairy "industry" across the board. I ain't approving of the dairy industry!the cows are so over-artificially inseminated and give birth so frequently-- to have their calves carted off for veal - that the milking MACHINES assure horrid infections in the udders...a thimbleful of pus in each glass of wholesome milk...and the cows are slaughtered at age 5 (28 is the age a healthy cow would die) and become fast food burgers...so depleted that they can no longer walk...nice, huh?but I am on the warpath over PIG WRESTLING and the fact that small towns are celebrating it and rubbing our noses in it? arghhhhhhh...I do not feel sweet!as an aside, do not call me and scold me about my updated facebook status? "yep, bull sh*t on the cheerleader's photo ops and cartwheels and splits...not my type of wholesome 'gal' at all...a true pisser!" ( kendall jones , the goof-ass grinning teen-age YELL leader that adores photo ops with exotic African animals she supposedly has slain "all by her lonesome" was my topic and Jim Robertson and Connie Sills Klein LIKED my comment and I am proud!)I am proud of allllll of the many people who speak up...and the numbers are growing. long overdue...all of the slaughtered animals and sentient beings we must just count it seems as martyrs for the cause.________________________Karen Perry Scott: "Pig wrestling? I have no words to express my shock and sadness. This is like dog fighting except it is between human and pig. Oh, and no animal dies, it is basically just tortured. Sad."Linda DeVoe Cridge: "As previously posted, and deleted, you are bullies and give Hoosiers a reputation of being rednecks. Michael Vick called, he wondered if you would add dog fights next year. You should be ashamed beating up on a poor, scared innocent creature. Teaching children animal cruelty."Joel Kerr: "Does your editor know what you are doing? So you're promoting animal cruelty (and very terrible parenting) and then deleting anyone who says so? Pretty shameful guys."Erica Marie O'Neill: "Each and every one of you who participated in this, your karma is coming. You vile excuses for human beings. You are all disgusting."Jacqueline Schuh: "Terrorizing innocent and defenseless animals = animal abuse. You do realize that's what this is, right?"Cindy Harrison Bantista: "Horrible! Looks like the guys get their jollies watching?"Karen Perry Scott: "Kids just don't realize what they are doing. Teenagers have a selfish, ignorant brain. I blame the promoters of this. Can't they think of anything else to offer teens?"Debbie Dellinger: "It is so sad that this still goes on. It is wrong."Jamie Rich: "Animal Abuse"Cindy Harrison Bantista: "Disturbed people smiling while abusing animals. Makes 4-Hers look disturbed, too."Joe Mitchell: "I love how you want to preserve this wholesome moment of animal abuse by deleting comments as they are entered. Instead of deleting my comments, allow them to stay so people can learn from this and let's all live in a more peaceful environment."Shannon Basner: "Never will understand how 'human' mistreat so many other living beings. It is almost as if they forget what pain is, then when it happens to them, they become the victim, forgetting what they have done to others. Very disheartening. Compassion is what is needed."Sasha Nash: "you think it is different because they are pigs, they are smarter than dogs, get yourself a real cruelty free hobby, stop abusing animals and evolve already!"Laura Eyring: "Pig wrestling? Is this what we teach our children now? Not only that it is morally acceptable to raise animals, love them, and kill them, but to stress and frustrate them as well? I hope these children grow to be more compassionate and caring than the confused adults who coordinated this event."________________________Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter and its follow-up Misunderstood Gargoyles and Overrated Angels - print and ebook versions of both are available on Amazon (click the title).The books are also carried by these fine retailers: Ann Arbor's Bookbound and Common Language ; Columbia City's Memory Lane North Side Grille and Whitley County Historical Museum ; and Fort Wayne's The Bookmark And you can download from iTunes Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or Won't