Faux fur is murder!

[Andrew]

PETA makes an effort to convince me that they are bigger idiots than I thought:

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/15/victorias.peta/index.html

With a couple of silly sentences injected, this could read almost like an article from The Onion.

[Dano]

Well, I guess their hearts are in the right place at least... even if their brains aren't.

[Flangepart]

People Eating Tasty Animals. Thats me and mine.
....If i get a deer or Turkey next year, maby i'll send them the antlers. Even extreamist need coat hangers.

[J.R.]

I have a t-shirt (available at rottencotton.com) that says PeTA-People For The Eating Of Tasty Animals.

Radical animal-rights peoples are perhaps the most aggrivatingly dense group of pusses on the face of the Earth. I have never even seen a PeTA-type that wasn't pasty, effeminate and sickly-thin. I have never heard them give decent answers to these questions-

Fruits and vegetables are living things, why is it acceptable to eat them? The very animals you try to save eat other animals, why is it okay for them and not us? Our eco-system dictates that living things must live off of other living things; If you're so concerned with the environment and mother nature why do you support eschewing the entire order of life?

I hate hippies.

[Fearless Freep]

Well..here's one solution

The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement
"May we live long and die out"

The P.E.T.A  folks are by far not the wackiest wackos

"Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense."

[Dano]

I've pored over my copy of the Constitution.  Nothing on rights for animals.  I'll have to go over the Supreme Court decisions...  : )

But in fairness, if they don't have rights, humans do have a responsibility not to cause them undue suffering or be wasteful when we kill them.  Genital electrocution of a mink to make a fur coat when they chuck the rest of it in the trash?  Their Keystone Cops routine aside, PETA isn't completely off the wall.

[Fearless Freep]

PETA makes the mistake of extremism in that 'their cause' is the most important issue at the expense of all others and that means almost anything goes in advancing the cause.  I don't think anyone is really lining up to join an animaly cruelty crusade, but their actions tend to alienate the people they really need to enlist for support. Things like what Andrew brought up don't help their cause.  Instead of turning anyone's attention to issues of animal fur usage and any cruelty related to it, it just calls attention to PETA itself, in a very negative light.  They make others who may share similar concerns look bad in the same light, and cut off any attempts at discussion or resolution in process.  Maybe to them, though, the ability to feel proud for having made a stand is more important than actually having accomplished anything

I could never figure out why everyone was upset that tuning fishing killed dolphins.  It tends to kill a lot of tuna, too.  From an ecological standpoint, there's probably a lot more tuna than dolphins, but if you want to take an ethical approach to it, then the tuna and the dolphin are the same

[John]

>PETA makes the mistake of extremism in that 'their cause' is the most important
>issue at the expense of all others

I agree. I'm not in favor of being cruel to animals, or things like testing cosmetics on them or killing frogs just so kids can cut them open in science class, but if animal testing can lead to cures for diseases, then I support that.

[Flangepart]

I'm with you, Dano and John.
....The guys i'v started hunting with, will use the deer and Turkey for food. Its not in me to disrespect what God has given us.
....P.E.T.A. and like groups start with a fair argumant....but loose sight of the need for balance. Animal testing has limets of value. As G.Gordon Liddy, of all folks, has said, animal biochemestry does not lead to obvious conclusions about haw a drug/chemical will react on/in a human. Owls can dine on Arscnic, with no ill effect, but give it to a human....
....BTW, does the V. H. E. M. logo look like something you'd see on the door of the Eviloverlord's secret lab? Or is it just me?

[AndyC]

That VHEM is pretty creepy. Frankly, the only reason I care about the Earth is because my family and I live here. We need to take care of the Earth to ensure our survival, our health and our happiness.

The biggest flaw in the crackpot philosophy of VHEM is the idiotic notion, shared by many radical environmentalists, that humans and nature are separate. They seem to be aware that we need the biosphere, but don't seem to consider us an essential part of it. Humans are part of the biosphere. We came from nature, the same as any animal. We just happen to have a capacity for shaping things the way we want them. That hasn't always been for the greater good, but it makes us special, and there surely must be a purpose for it. Humans are the greatest achievement of nature so far (as far as we know). No other species can build machines, cure diseases or leave the planet. I can't say I've seen any evidence that other species can even think abstractly.

Doesn't mean animals don't have feelings or that we shouldn't treat them well. We should. We just shouldn't kid ourselves into beleiving the two main fallacies that so many activists manage to believe simultaneously - that we're different from animals and that animals are the same as us.

Oh, and the reason why a few dolphins are mourned more than millions of tuna is that tuna aren't cute.

[Dano]

PETA makes the mistake of extremism in that 'their cause' is the most important issue at the expense of all others and that means almost anything goes in advancing the cause.
*****  Agreed.  If they came to my door and said they wanted to make a law against wasteful slaughter for fur, or make stricter guidelines for lab animals, I'd probably sign their petition or vote for their referendum.  It's when they start in with the "We are eating our brother animals" stuff that they lose me.  Also, while I don't hunt I have no desire to ruin other peoples' fun and I have sense enough to know that without hunting you'd have an ecological mess.  A couple of good intentions wrapped up in 35 years of polemics does not make for an attractive platform.

[raj]

VHEM is the best way to counter the environmental extremists (and no, I'm not against drinking clean water or breathing fresh air).  Every action we take does impact the environment, the only way not to pollute (even electric cars need power plants) is to not exist.  And the cruelty exhibited when a cheetah brings down a gazelle has got to be as bad as anything in a slaughterhouse.  Maybe PETA can try talking the cheetahs & wolves into being vegetarians.  Once that happens, then I will give up turkey for Thanksgiving.

BTW, to be fair to the PETA side, I would like to crash a Victoria's Secret fashion show myself 8-)))

[Fearless Freep]

I would like to crash a Victoria's Secret fashion show myself

You just want to follow the models down the runway :)

[Flangepart]

Fair enough, Sir Campbell.
....I do believe Humans are different from animals, but in a non physical level.
....But as flesh and blood, we are animals.
....PETA's problim, is the fact that only humans are even able to argue the point in the first place. Even the smartest chimp has never develouped a cognitive ability like that of the average human. Apes have a good digital manipulitive ability....but they can't take it as far as we can.
....Humans can gather knowlage, and store ideas away for future use. Flying, for example. We can't fly as animals....but, we found a way around that, diden't we?
....No. Humans are different...but still we are part of the life forms that inhabit Earth. I believe there is a greater purpose involved, you may not. no matter. It'll work out in the end.
....There is a balance to be acheived. And PETA will never reach it.
....Heh. Hope those poor schlubs don't try to actualy teach a cheeta to go Vegan. A cheeta will eat a "Hairless ape" as easily as the regular one, and with coughing up of hairballs to boot!

[Chadzilla]

My take on these individuals is simple - turn to Genesis - God commanded that Humanity look over and care for his creation.  Humanity, being rebellious and sinful in nature, has abused this privledge to no end for the short term gains of satiated greed and gluttony.  These groups seem to understand the need to repent and properly safeguard the Lord's creation, but the answer is in Jesus Christ, not in worshipping nature.

Thank you.