Peta

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

What do you guys think of what PETA does? I just came across this site from somewhere and got to reading some of the stuff. I personally whole heartedly agree with what they do, I mean what real person wouldn’t.

The only problem is, they recommend everyone go Vegan and that it is fine. Well, everyone needs a little meat to stay healthy. So the real problem seems that since we need meat, companies must be forced to accept some acceptable standards.

Call me a raging hippie if you must, I have never looked at this stuff before seriously, but it’s got me thinking now. I don’t think I’m gonna eat at the next KFC or whatever I see now. Have you seen some of the videos of what goes on???

Anyways, where do ya’s all stand on this?

PETA

2

I think PETA are a bunch of nut jobs.

3

Ok… so you disagree with their extreme methods. But animal cruelty is fine with you? good to know. Glad someone out there gives a f**k still.

4

The best hamburger I ever had was finely-ground-up PETA members. Mmmmm…PETAburgers…

5

PETA is a bunch of nutjobs who discredit the positions they espouse.

6

A vegetarian diet, IOW. :smiley:

7

sstaurus, please be civil. You asked for opinions, and you’re getting them. No one said cruelty to animals is OK: you asked for opinions on PETA. Some might not be as convinced as you are as to their methods, as you can see.

8

Mmmm…nutburgers…

9

sstaurus, here are a couple of links to threads about PETA in Great Debates from the last 6 months. They will probably give you a pretty good idea why many people here have major problems with PETA.

PETA: Taking ‘Too Far’ Even Further
PETA to boycott KFC

And what the hell, just for good measure, some pit threads:

More PETA silliness
Fuck You Peta!!!
Now PETA has a voice?

And to answer your question, I have lots of problems with animal cruelty. I just find that PETA has absolutely no credibility.

10

I’m a real person, bub. And I think PETA is at best a group of nutcases, at worst a band of terrorists.

You’re free to believe what you wish, but calling your political opponents subhuman isn’t a great debating tactic.

11

I happen to belong to PeTA.

Are you all calling me a nutjob?! What?! Are you!?

::loads up my AK-47 with vest-shredding bullets::

Who is ve nutjub now, my fine friendhs?

Wait. That didn’t help, did it?

:dubious:

12

Since QueerGeekGirl is a doper, I’ll allow for the odd exception in the PETA ranks.
The bulk of them don’t deserve the term “hippie.” Terrorists and lunatics would better fit, IMHO.

13

Now that Coldie is cracking down, time to get serious…

My objection to PETA is they are an extremist group that seems to hold the life of animals at a much higher regard than the life of people, not to mention the (non-animal) property of people. They don’t weigh relative benefits to mankind or the world, but have an absolutist stance of “animals good, people bad.”

I have heard lectures where they even object to animals that are by nature carnivorous, like dogs. Pure-PETA dog owners don’t feed their pets meat, which leads to serious nutritional problems. This is not a rational position to take; it is a position driven by pure, blind emotion, and an extreme emotion at that.

The Humane Society, ASPCA, fine. PETA, too far out.

Meanwhile…

QueerGeekGirl, would you step over a bit? That’s right, just lean into the blender…mmm…girlburgers… :smiley:

14

Cecil says dogs do fine on vegetarian diets, but not so cats.

15

No problem. Just substitute “cat” wherever I said “dog.”

I’m easy. And not dogmatic about it.

16

Okay, seriously. Let me explain my PeTA love a little bit.

Yes, there are lunatics in PeTA. Absolutely. There are extreme, emotionally-blinded jackasses who can hear nothing but the beat of their own rhetoric.

That said…show me a group that doesn’t have those among their ranks. I think it’s unfair to make a sweeping generalization that all PeTA members are nutcases who blow up houses and who value animal life over human. I also belong to Greenpeace, but I’ve yet to blow up any submarines.

This is a loose correlation for sure, but isn’t that the exact same as if I were to say “Muslims are a hateful group of people who strap dynamite to themselves and blow up innocent people for their own ends”? We know that’s an ignorant stand to take, but it seems like people have no problem applying the same logic to PeTA. (Not you Dopers–I know you’re [mostly] kidding with the nutjob comments.)

From my personal standpoint and from the standpoint of all the PeTA members I know, we value animal life just as much as human life. Which means, no, no animal experimentation. No, no meat eating (something I still have yet to conquer. Bad QGG.) No, no circuses or zoos or destruction of natural habitats for human profit. I don’t think that’s a wrong stand to take. YMMV, I guess.

As for the carnivore-cum-vegan deal with domestic pets, I strongly disagree with that, and from my personal knowledge, most PeTA members do not follow that regimen.

I do get offended when we’re called “terrorists”, but it confuses me even more than it offends me. When has PeTA ever used terror tactics? Some silly, for sure, but terror?? The only thing I can think of that even comes close to this is ALF (the Animal Liberation Front), which has been known to destroy lab property and the like. I’m not going to get into my personal views on ALF, as that could take up a whole new thread. Suffice to say, PeTA does not endorse ALF or any violent/destructive faction.

Well, as always, YMMV on all of this.

:slight_smile:

17

The problems with PETA are the people in charge of it and the ones who come up with their publicity campaigns. The basic ideas of PETA, the Ethical Treatment of Animals, I agree with wholeheartedly.

However, these fanatics have managed to discredit what could have been a legitimate, respected organization and made it into a laughingstock.

I don’t agree with animal cruelty and I don’t agree with killing animals for “pretty” fur coats, but I also don’t agree with PETA’s dealings in the matter.

18

Sstaurus –

There’s a superb article in the The New Yorker, April 14, 2003 on PETA titled “The Extremist – The woman behind PETA.” It deals with PETA issues seriously but makes it clear that they have a campaign based on visibility and drama. (A side word: at least it’s not based on violence.)

Excellent read.

19

I don’t think all PETA contributors are nutjobs, QueerGeekGirl. But, like lilbtagna, I definitely think those running the organization are.

20

Cecil’s wrong, for once. Both dogs and cats should be able to live long, healthy lives on a diet consisting solely of vegetarians.