'Michelle Obama, we need to talk', say 3 young girls in PETA video message

New Delhi: "Michelle Obama, we need to talk..." say three young girls on behalf of animal rights group PETA in a video message, urging the US First Lady to use reusable plastic or ceramic eggs instead of hard-boiled chicken eggs at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday.

"I am not mad. I am just disappointed," says one girl, in the one minute 20 seconds long video released this week by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on the video-sharing website YouTube.

The White House Easter Egg Roll is a tradition that dates back to 1878. Originally, young children in Washington would flock to Capitol Hill every Monday after Easter for egg rolling and a day of activities.

The event was moved to the White House in 1878 after President Hayes was approached by young children to use his backyard to roll eggs. Nearly every Easter since then, the

White House has invited young children to roll eggs on the White House lawn.

"First lady, you are planning another Easter Egg Roll with real eggs. Doesn't mean if all the first ladies have done it, you have to do it too. If all the other First Lady's jumped off a bridge, would you?," asks another girl.

"Be the leader, we know you can be. You are better than this. There were seven thousand eggs every year. The math comes out to like, a gazillion eggs! Think for a second, how many chickens have to die," she adds.

Suggesting an alternative, the third girl says, "I don't care who started it, you are ending it. We can use plastic eggs and the same eggs can be reused next year. Its not wasteful and no chickens need to die. One day you will thank me, I believe in you!"

The video is a part of a request by Ingrid E Newkirk, President of the US-based animal rights organisation, to cut eggs from this year's annual Easter egg roll, which Newkirk\ has linked to in a letter to the US First Lady.

"For chickens on egg factory farms, Easter is not a time of renewal or joy. It can take up to 34 hours in typically hellish conditions for a hen to produce just one of  the thousands of eggs slated to be used at the Easter Egg Roll," he says in the letter.

Eggs are laden with saturated animal fat and cholesterol, which are primary contributors to some of our nation's top killers, including heart disease and strokes. One single large egg contains more cholesterol than two Big Mac sandwiches do.

It's the wrong message to send to children, the letter reads. Newkirk expresses hope in the letter that after hearing their message, the first lady will implement a new, humane tradition at the White House by using synthetic eggs that don't require any animal to suffer.

The US First Family will host the 136th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 21. This year's theme is "Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape" with more than 30,000 people expected to assemble on the South Lawn to join in the fun.

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