Cruelty to Candy!

Animal rights groups in New Jersey are are complaining about Kraft's new gummi product featuring snakes and squirrels squashed with tire tracks. They say that having the fruit-flavored candies in the shape of roadkill will cause people to go out and create more roadkill.

"It sends the wrong message to children, that it's OK to harm animals. And that's the wrong message, especially from a so-called wholesome corporation like Kraft," said society spokesman Matthew Stanton.

When was the last time that you ate a gummy bear, teddy graham, or gingerbread man without slowly dismembering him by biting off his head, arms, legs, or ears first? Most people enjoy doing so to their sweets, yet do not go out and do so to actual, living animals. Chocolate Easter bunnies receive similar treatment, as their ears are usually the first part to go, yet there are thousands of rabbits hopping around with their ears still intact. Even worse, the candy Sour Patch Kids are little gummies in the shape of, that's right, kids, and yet nobody compains about those being sold and eaten. What makes this any different than eating a animal-shaped candy that is already dead (although roadkill candy does not sound very appetizing)? I do not think that people will be influenced by their candy to out driving for the soul purpose of running over snakes and squirrels, much less to pick up dead animals lying by the side of the road and eating them. Most people would never think of it.