Faux fur is murder!

[J.R.]

<>

PeTA is now saying that pet owners (or, as they put it, "guardians") should ween their dogs and cats off of meat. Yeah, my cats would eat my eyeballs as I sleep before they'd nosh on a carrot. Now they're even trying to restrict the diets of the animals they want to save!

[Fearless Freep]

An unsupportable premise taken to [ir]rational conclusion

[Chadzilla]

J.R. wrote:
>
>  
> PeTA is now saying that pet owners (or, as they put it,
> "guardians") should ween their dogs and cats off of meat.
> Yeah, my cats would eat my eyeballs as I sleep before they'd
> nosh on a carrot. Now they're even trying to restrict the
> diets of the animals they want to save!
>

Uh, what is the IQ of the people responsible for this???

Anyho, I once had a talk with a dog fancier (I have a cat).  She preferred dogs as, if you died, they would not eat your corpse.  Starving housecats would.

Once upon a time I read an article/advertisement in the New York Times from some fellow that advocated world Veganism.  After all humanity turned to vegan eating, then animals would likewise be trained to eat fish.

Wow, teaching a Great White to eat kelp, or a Bengal Tiger to eat cabbage, what a job!

[Goon]

"...ween their dogs and cats off of meat."

----Engage Ramble-----

      I believe I read somewhere that if a cat is deprived of protein it will go blind.  Nice planet set up there.
     Other primates have been trained to use sign language and do math.  Parrots have been taught to identify and request specific objects.  Many animals cooperate and use tools.  Few things of intellect are limited to humanity.                       However, we are the species that has aquired the greatest collection of these qualities and pushed them beyond natural limits.  As we use the most tools and have the greatest degree of logical thinking, I think this gives us a certain responsibility on how exactly we go about getting food.  Make the slaughter as quick, clean, and painless as possible.  I do not like the idea of eating or wearing anything that died by having a big electrode jammed where the sun don't shine and a zillion volts run through its system.
     Still, I would rather have a burger than try discussing philosophy with a cow.  Most of the time people eat animals, sometimes animals eat people.
          One last thought:  Minks are actualy very nasty and angry little animals that you would not want to mess with.  Not everything out there is cute and fuzzy, I think that is a lesson that the activists on the stage needed to learn.
----Disengage Ramble-----
------ooo-'U'-ooo-----Kilroy was here.

[Dano]

I believe I read somewhere that if a cat is deprived of protein it will go blind.
*****  There is protein in beans and other legumes.  That said, try to feed a cat a bean burrito some time and check out the look it will give you.
: )

[Flangepart]

Regards Sheesh!
....Actualy, Chadzilla.....you said it better then i did. Will wonders never cease.....
....Corse, there could be a touch of tongue in cheek there, perhaps?

[AndyC]

Some great arguments all around.

Just to clarify what I said earlier, the belief of the folks at PETA seems to be, on one hand, that we shouldn't eat animals because we are no better than they are, and on the other hand, that we are better than animals, and are not allowed the same predatory behaviour that is so common among them.

When you start getting into vegan diets for carnivores, you're simply going against nature. A few veggies are as good for a dog as they are for you and me, but that's not meant to be the bulk of his diet. Try to force him to live on it, and that's bordering on animal abuse, in my opinion.

An interesting point on the intelligence of animals. I've been reading a book on dog training that is fascinating. While dogs are very smart and trainable, it explains that they cannot distinguish right from wrong, they don't recognize pictures, they can't think abstractly or plan ahead, they don't understand the value of anything (except as food or chew toy), and most of what they do is guided by what will give them immediate food or pleasure. While they can be trained to recognize a word, they don't really understand language. In spite of appearances, there is not much human-like inside their heads, as far as science can tell. Training can curb their natural urges by substituting new rewards for the pleasure they get from chewing your shoes or peeing on your bed.

The book gets interesting when it explains that a lot of the abuse dogs get is from people who credit them with too many human qualities. When your dog knows right from wrong, and he misbehaves, it would seem like he deserves a punishment. Thus, a lot of dogs get punished (and have no clue why) by people who think of them as being like us.

Moral: Animals are not furry people, and everyone will be better off, especially animals, if that notion were eradicated.

[Flangepart]

True.
....My friends Barb and Steve have always had dogs. Currently, Two Rotties and a Mutt. The dogs are well behaved, for the most part, and one they accept you, the Rotties are friendly and like attention. They've known me saice pups, and as the owners are good friends, accept me as part of the pack.
....Its the use of the dogs pack mentality that nakes them valuable. They do see us theough the filter of their programming. They adapt to our world, but recconise
we are strange "dogs". A friend said, that because we can pick up things and throw them...which they can't do....gives us an edge in keeping out "Pack leader " status. Makes sense. Watch you dog, pups espchualy, when you throw things. They seem to be facinated by that. Guess they think its neat.

[Chadzilla]

Andy Campbell wrote:
>
>  
> Moral: Animals are not furry people, and everyone will be
> better off, especially animals, if that notion were eradicated.
>
>

Wait, you mean Benji, Lassie, and The Incredible Journey LIED!!!

[Funk, E.]

Can people live on vegetables, fruits and grains alone, yes
Is it healthy? Debatable, but I've never liked the apearance of any vegan I've ever known
Is it natural? No, hell no. Our own body tells us that.
Is in possible, heatly, natural to eat red meat for every meal? Again, no our own body tells us that. We have molars for vegies and incissors for meat. Use them both, live long time.

Humanities whole problem is we wouldn't know what was a natural balanced idea if it skullf*cked us!

Do I think sacrificing animals for any old reason including curiousity is right? No.
Do I think only using part of an animal and wasting the rest is right? No.
Would I kill a million rats to find the cure for cancer? Hell yes!

Truth be told... until we can figure out how to respect human life the animals are on their own!

[Gerry]

I always find it interesting that the PETA folks accost supermodels and little old rich ladies rather than biker gangs.

After all, what is the difference between leather and fur to the animal that was wearing it before we took it?

I suspect there would be a lot less PETA members if they started going after the biker gangs.

[Chadzilla]

Yeah, I would love to see that neatnik biker in the vacum cleaner commercials clock one of those protestors with his clean machine.  "SCOTCHGUARD THIS!!"

PETA also picks on kids, whenever McDonald's or Oscar Meyer does some publicity at a school or something, PETA is there harrassing little kids who haven't the foggiest idea why singing "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer weiner" makes them bad enough to have adults yelling at them to stop.

Frankly I wouldn't mind seeing Ronald McDonald kick the snot out of them.

[J.R.]

<>

Like I said before, every vegan spokesperson or Earth Liberation Front terrorist I've seen is a skinny, pale, effeminate puss.

<>

I was watching the news a while back and a bunch of PeTA jackasses went to an elementary school at lunchtime handing out trading cards. One card said that when people drink milk it hurts cows. You don't want to hurt cows, do you?

I wonder, if an animal rights freak were dying of cancer, would they refuse treatment tested on animals? Or do tree huggers comprehend that their home is made of wood? There was this hippie that lived in a tree for two years, and when she came down she wrote a book. And we all know that paper is made of, everybody now- WOOD!!!!!!!

[Funk, E.]

Again I think the real issue (for me anyways) isn't consumption, but unmittigated consumpion. Yes, books are made of paper, but they can also be made of recycled paper or hemp pulp. Are houses made of wood? Yes, but how many trees can you cut down before the forest is incapable of perpetuating itself? I'm an omnivore, I don't mind people needing houses, but that doesn't change the fact that our consuption is outpacing the renewablity of these vital resources. Intelligent, mindful consumption, not abstenance is the key.

Yes the HEPA folks are freaks, but isn't everyone at a fashion show ;-)

[babydoll]

PETA can go live in India where they worship the cow!