As swine-flu fever rages, pig lovers are in the crosshairs

Yesterday afternoon, as I was driving home, I found myself behind a truck sporting a license plate very much like this one (which I made using a website accessible by clicking here): It read, "ILVPIGS." At a time when swine-flu fears can get anyone who sneezes in public branded as...

By Michael Roberts

May 5, 2009

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Yesterday afternoon, as I was driving home, I found myself behind a truck sporting a license plate very much like this one (which I made using a website accessible by clicking here): It read, "ILVPIGS." At a time when swine-flu fears can get anyone who sneezes in public branded as Typhoid Mary, even backing this vehicle out of a garage constitutes an act of defiance. Never mind that the number of confirmed H1N1 cases in Colorado is only at six, with all of them considered to be mild. In this environment, pigs are public enemy number one, whether they've got a case of the sniffles or not -- a blatant example of prejudice if ever there was one. So praise be to Mr. or Mrs. ILVPIGS, for fighting the power. Porky, Petunia, Arnold Ziffel and Babe thank you, and so do we.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo