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 when they were viewed as being 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 contently in the grass and chew their cud. We even speak of pigs in derogatory terms.
When someone eats too much, he is 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. Whatever did he do to deserve this?
And the pig and his product are being slammed even harder because of swine flu. People are worried, they're not buying pork so consequently, "this 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 actually stinky is if their owners allow them to be". "They love baths, she says, and actually prefer to be clean".
I've always liked pigs and they have played an important role in history and in child development. Remember the three little pigs and how closely they mirror society. The first little pig was an underachiever. He foolishly 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 it was all blown away. Hasn't tragedy hit us all at one time or another.
And then the third little pig. Well he was an overachiever. Probably a Type A personality. He rose to the top, built his house out of bricks, foiled the big bad wolf and saved the day. Aren't the three little pigs just like life? Some lose, some exist and some win.
And then there is my personal favorite, Porky Pig. How many Saturday mornings did we get up early to watch Porky and his pals
perform? To see Porky Pig 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