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PETA is requesting that the White House get rid of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog that predicts whether or not we will have six more weeks of winter, in hopes that the tradition be replaced with a giant holographic avatar. Unsure how checking a rodent's shadow is unethical, but draw your own conclusions.

According to PETA:

Tupac, Elvis, and most recently, Suzanne Sommers, but could the next big name to be immortalized with a holographic avatar be…Punxsutawney Phil? In a letter PETA sent today to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s president, Tom Dunkel, PETA offers to provide a massive, state-of-the-art, 3-D projection of a groundhog—complete with vocal weather predictions—to light up the stage at Gobbler’s Knob each year if Dunkel agrees to finally let Phil and his family retire to a reputable sanctuary.

PETA notes that, when given the chance, naturally shy groundhogs avoid humans and enjoy burrowing, exploring, and hibernating—all of which are impossible in the small enclosure Phil is kept in year-round.

It’s really not that deep, and the left really needs to take things at face value. Once a year, this furry creature is disturbed for barely several minutes. That’s it. There really is no moral fight that needs to be fought here, but this is what we call “first-world issues.” The left has nothing to complain about, so they make things up.

According to the letter, “Groundhogs are timid prey animals who, if they’re able to, actively avoid humans. They dislike human smells, fear loud noises, abhor gatherings, and prefer to stay in their burrows. Yet every year, this terrified little animal is subjected to loud announcers and noisy crowds and held up and waved around without any regard for his feelings, welfare, or instincts.”

I am no groundhog expert, but I predict this little guy has no feelings on the matter. Rather, it’s very likely a mild annoyance, at best.

Additionally, Phil and his family live in a “climate-controlled environment" away from predators. This is a life no groundhog could ever imagine. Yet, PETA believes this is unethical. That math is not adding up here.

Unfortunately for our fellow vegans, it does not look like this tradition will be coming to an end in 2026. Better luck next year.

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