By Jimmy Orr, Cowboy State Daily
What a coincidence.
The governors of Wyoming and Colorado have each designated Saturday, March 20 as a holiday of sorts. And both holidays have something to do with meat.
But that’s where the similarity ends.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, whose partner is a longtime vegan, declared Saturday “MeatOut Day” to promote meatless diets to his constituents.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, whose partner is a longtime not-vegan, declared Saturday “Hearty Meat Day” to promote the consumption of meat products to his constituents.
Gordon went a step further, however, as he encouraged citizens of Colorado to join in on the Hearty Meat Day celebration.
“I don’t know what those folks are doing down south, but a good barbecue is a great way to enjoy a Saturday,” Gordon said.
It’s certainly safe to speculate that citizens of Weld County, a Colorado district that borders Wyoming, might follow Gordon’s lead.
A group of citizens from the county have been organizing to secede from Colorado and join Wyoming.
In fact, the group of more than 6,200 people calls itself “Weld County, Wyoming” on its Facebook page.
The Polis “no-meat” holiday has been brought up many times on its page — never in a very positive light.
Like when the Weld County Board of Commissioners proclaimed Saturday “Meat-IN” Day in response to Polis’ proclamation.
“When Governor Polis declared March 20 as MeatOUT day, it was a slap in the face to the thousands of ranching and farm families across this state,” Weld County Commissioner Steve Moreno said. “It was yet another hit against rural Colorado.”
Moreno said Weld County has long been the state’s leading county in agricultural products sold, bringing in $2 billion dollars annually. Approximately 85% of that revenue comes from the sale of livestock, poultry and products alone, he said.
Gordon said he hoped Wyoming citizens (and beyond) would purchase and eat beef, lamb, and other meat products on Saturday.
“Our Wyoming farmers and ranchers are amazing stewards of our environment. The meat they ethically produce is the best, and part of a healthy, balanced diet. It’s just downright good to eat,” Governor Gordon said. “Folks here know how important our ranching heritage is.”
Incidentally, Cowboy State Daily reader Ed McCarthy deserves a round of applause for his observation.
On our Facebook page, McCarthy asks: “When a vegan governor gets into an argument like this, can it still be called ‘a beef’?”.
LOL.
