Most people are familiar with the famous "The Godfather, Part II" quote: "My father taught me many things. … He taught me to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

I don’t necessarily agree with the “closer” part, but the general idea is that you have nothing to fear from your family and friends, yet to know your foes is to know what they are planning and what they are capable of.

So, although I don’t like adding to their “page visits” count, I occasionally visit websites for organizations like the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I wouldn’t call them my personal enemies, but they are not friends of animal agriculture. In fact, their main goal is to turn us all into vegans.

Some of the imagines of animal cruelty on the sites are disturbing and unfortunate, as we all know that is the uncommon and not the common.

I don’t condone animal cruelty, but I believe animals serve a human purpose. I do not believe they are equal to humans, unlike PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk who has said, “When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”

PETA is known for its theatrical and sensationalistic claims. The latest campaign is a slam on cheese. The headline of a blog posted on the site reads, “Why cheese is the most sexist thing you can eat.” But really it’s a crusade against all dairy. The group is claiming those products are sexist. “Can food really be sexist? Yes, when it’s the product of imprisonment, rape, reproductive control, kidnapping and abuse,” the site reads. It goes on to say. “Cows who are imprisoned on dairy farms are forcibly impregnated through artificial insemination again and again on rape racks. Rape racks. All for your milk, cheese and yogurt.”

Really? That’s like attacking apple pie, baseball and, well, ice cream. What is the purpose of a dairy cow if it’s not to be milked? What exactly is a rape rack? And as far as artificial insemination goes, this is done when cows are in heat and hence ready to be impregnated. And it is safer for the cow than having a 1,500-pound-plus bull mounting her.

But beyond all PETA’s outlandish claims, there is extreme irony.

The group says you can’t be a feminist and eat cheese. It says, as feminists, they “push for strong role models who don’t objectify women on television and in movies. We work to end sex trafficking, slavery, genital mutilation and “honor killings.” We rail against sexism in all its many forms.”

Yet, on another page of the website, you see PETA’s vegan ambassadors, known as the Lettuce Ladies, who are wearing only strategically placed lettuce leaves — like a bikini. They are carrying signs that read, “Start Fresh: Go Vegan.” The article said they gave out delicious seitan sandwiches to people in Moscow and heads were turning as folks went to meet them and enjoy the delicious plant-based samples. They also had plans to stop in China, Cuba, Romania, Turkey and, if you want to catch them stateside, St. Petersburg, Fla.

With slim 20-somethings prancing around in the street with just their privates covered, I bet heads were turning. How is that not objectifying women? And while it may not be truly sexist, it clearly is using a female body for a cause. At least with cheese, it’s to nurture our own bodies, which I plan to continue to do. I will not discriminate. I will eat them all, including provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack and any cheesy goodness I fancy at the moment.

At least they can’t claim dairying is racist. Our cows are both black and white, and on some farms, brown. Check out PETA’s article.