PETA wants to bring hog farm to Capitol

As the “swine flu” outbreak continues to make headlines, the animal rights group PETA hopes to graphically illustrate to lawmakers how the problem started in the first place.

The group has submitted an application to Capitol Police to set up a a real-life hog farm on the steps of the Capitol, complete with urine, manure and fans to blow the odor around.

In a statement, PETA says it hopes to replicate the conditions that led to the spread of swine flu and convince Americans to become vegetarians.

“Meat has long been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, but disease-breeding factory farms could be the death of us all,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “The best way to protect animals and our own health–individually and globally–is to go vegetarian.”

The potential exhibit would include three pigs, 3500 gallons of pig manure and urine and large fans. The group will also show undercover footage of hog farm conditions and distribute information on becoming a vegetarian.

Today, the first suspected case of swine flu was detected in the nation’s capitol. Bloomberg reports that a World Bank employee has been diagnosed with swine flu after traveling to Mexico for work.