I'm not trying to plagiarize the Nat "King" Cole's classic, but I was driving along Route 18 minding my business when out of a gray-colored sky – flash, bam, alakazam – a billboard caught my eye.

It was a vegan-sponsored advertisement showing some guy with his widely-opened mouth, filled with jagged shark teeth, accompanied by the message, "Human jaws are the real predators." As a talk show host, I can truly appreciate those words.

Gazelle/Townsquare Media
Gazelle/Townsquare Media
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Now some might call the billboard an attack on those of us who enjoy a juicy, tender porterhouse or a roasted leg of lamb, but I laughed it off as a clever way to get across their belief that animals have rights and are intelligent individuals who value their own lives and don't deserve to be slaughtered for a fleeting taste of grilled steak. That's how some folks think, and that's fine. As they say, to each his/her own, but I just don't believe vegan is sustainable for everybody. I love fresh vegetables and especially steamed dandelions, drizzled with imported olive oil, as a side dish to some marinated steak tips.

I have seen some weird billboard ads urging everyone to stick to animal-free meals, but if we followed their demands, many would die. Not all land is suitable for growing the huge amount of crops you'd need to sustain the world, because we'd be destroying pastureland with constant overuse, and we just wouldn't be able to grow enough food for everyone.

So, as much as I got a chuckle from the billboard ad, sorry, vegans – instead of saving the world, you'd be starving the world.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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