# PETA shoots itself in the foot......again **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 31, 2001, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087 "2001-08-31T08:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/41 "2001-09-04T18:10:10Z")
Wow, exactly 37 posts for the thread to go from complaining about PETA to generalized (not to mention idiotic) bad-mouthing of vegetarians. Gee, who would’ve thought it possible? > [@](#): > > I try to eat as much meat as possible rather than vegetables because at least meat has a sporting chance of getting away. Perhaps you haven’t heard, but most animals used for food are born and raised in captivity. If you consider that a “sporting chance,” well, I guess that’s one way of looking at it. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/42 "2001-09-04T19:15:10Z")
[Animal Rights Group Pulls Be-Kind-To-Sharks Ad](http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010904/od/rights_dc_1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/43 "2001-09-04T20:15:28Z")
> [@](#): > > ``But right now people would just shoot the messenger without hearing the message.’’ > > - PETA Damn straight, and with good cause. I am, however, somewhat surprised that PETA has abandoned, for however long, their usual “Damn The Torpedoes” approach. I guess if you beat someone about the head and shoulders long enough, you’ll eventually get their attention. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/44 "2001-09-04T20:49:17Z")
\*\* > [@](#): > > ``But right now people would just shoot the messenger without hearing the message.’’ > > - PETA \*\* Translation: We’ve gotten all the PR mileage we can hope to get out of this without things getting really nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/45 "2001-09-05T00:07:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dragwyr \* > **Has anyone seen the latest PetaKids commercial?** > _(…)_ > **OK. WTF does animal dissections have to do with school violence? I want to get guns out of my kid’s school. So you’re saying to do that I have to make sure my kid doesn’t slice open little Kermit’s abdomen?** I have not seen the commercial but from what you say I think you misunderstood it. Probably they mean “open little Kermit’s abdomen” IS school violence. It’s a whoosh galore… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/46 "2001-09-05T02:11:14Z")
The problem is, they turn more people off to their cause-they do more to DESTROY the animal rights movement than anyone else. Everyone then thinks animal rights=PETA, so they turn their backs on it. Which is a real shame. ---
**Author:** ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/47 "2001-09-05T15:48:07Z")
PETA seem to be branching out. There was a report on the BBC’s Radio 4 programme this morning that PETA had produced, and was handing out to UK schoolkids (no age-range mentioned, that I can recall) Pokemon-style collect-em-all cards in which drinking milk was (among many other things) portrayed as causing pimples and gas (in the short term) and heart-attack and cancer in the long. Plus it outlined in graphic detail the fact that cows’ udders get so distended they drag on the floor (!!! - my aunt had a farm up to a few years ago and as a kid I’d get to milk the cows when I stayed… I never saw _anything_ like this) Their arguments for targetting children were pretty specious (‘they have a right to know the truth’). In truth, I’d never heard about this organisation, and now I’ve seen two instances in one day. These people don’t seem to have any idea of what’s appropriate, as long as they get their message across. The shame of it is that a lot of people probably **do** support the aims of less cruelty, more humane handling where possible etc, but are completely put off by these screaming idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Flyhalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea5d25/32.png) [@Flyhalf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyhalf)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/48 "2001-09-05T16:48:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by THespos \* > > Their natural predators rip them into tiny pieces with their jaws. Which is worse? And why does it matter? \*\* Sharks have no natural predators because they are APEX predators. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/49 "2001-09-05T17:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Sharks have no natural predators because they are APEX predators. Actally, only some sharks are apex preditors. Most are high on the food chain, but not at the top, as sharks predate each other. Of course, some sharks aren’t preditors at all, being algae-eaters, and some sharks are filter feeders. Killer whales (Orca) also eat sharks. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/50 "2001-09-05T17:23:48Z")
You think that’s bad, try working in the city where PETA’s headquarters are at (Norfolk, VA). The local rag ran a story about them, the head honcho is a Brit ex-pat who is IMHO, quite a nut-job. According to the article, ANY, again, ANY PR they get from ANYthing they do, she considers excellent press in getting their message out. A local morning radio show puts on an annual PETA fishing tournament that they hold in the river right in front of the PETA headquarters building. ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/51 "2001-09-05T17:27:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xerxes \* > **These people don’t seem to have any idea of what’s appropriate, as long as they get their message across.** And that, I believe, is the textbook definition of an _activist_. Someone who is so single-minded in their advocacy of an issue that they ingore all logic and reason in pushing said issue. Up to and including ignoring any damage to their fellow humans. (Does anyone remember the phenomenon of tree-spiking?) Like MY favorite bumper sticker says: “Save a turkey. Stuff an activist.” ---
**Author:** ![Narile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@Narile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Narile)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2001, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/52 "2001-09-05T21:31:34Z")
Not activist Tygr, _Zealot_. Activist just means the person actively campaigns, and does not say anything about their mental states. Zealot on the other hand says it quite perfectly. Zealots, They Ain’t just for Religion anymore. ---
**Author:** ![jack\_ss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c77e96/32.png) [@jack\_ss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jack_ss)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087/53 "2001-09-06T02:55:27Z")
I just love PETA’s hypocrisy regarding Staffordshire Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers. [http://www.bergenrecord.com//op-ed/pitbull2420000127.htm](http://www.bergenrecord.com//op-ed/pitbull2420000127.htm) They’re for no-kill shelters for all breeds of dogs _except_ Pit Bulls. As if the dogs themselves are responsible for dog-fighting dipshits and animal-abusing assholes… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peta-shoots-itself-in-the-foot-again/79087.md?page=2)