How do vegans and non-vegans alike, feel about PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals)?

Question

I am an omnivore and I do not believe it is wrong to eat meat or use animals for our own well being but I don't have anything against people being vegans or animal rights activists if that's what they choose to be. Everyone has a right to live according to their own beliefs but they shouldn't try to force their beliefs on others. So I understand PETA's intent and I'm sure some of it's causes are good but I think sometimes they go the wrong way about spreading their message and end up giving vegans and animal rights activists a bad name.

Answer 1

They are domestic terrorists.  End of story.

Only ELF/ALF is worse.

Answer 2

They are a bit extreme. But I agree i'ts kind of pointless to kill animals to eat the meat that is cutting years out of our potential lifespan.

and no my cat is not a vegan. she's a natural carnivore so i feed her meat

Answer 3

well they converted me, and I'm sure many other people to vegetarianism so I'm all for PETA. They're also helping to stop animal testing, fur trade industries, slaughtering of animals.. etc

Answer 4

The problem is that meat-eaters do not like to be constantly bombarded by what their decision to eat meat is doing to animals.

PETA is an organization with the right idea. I agree that throwing red paint on fur coats is extreme, but the point is, people know them and learn from them by hearing about these things.

Go vegi!

Answer 5

  they end up making people who are vegetarians look like nuts.

Answer 6

I'm Vegan,and although PETA have done and continue to do very good things in the name of animal rights they certainly go about them in the wrong way.I'm all for protests and spreading the word but this is where they get it so wrong.They kill all the animals they can't find homes for or are expensive to treat.How,when you believe that animal lives are just as sacred,kill them?They tend to sensationalize and this distracts people, totally from what they're trying to achieve.If they were to be consistent and stop spitting their views at others,then they may well transform many peoples opinions on how we should treat other animals.

Answer 7

As an advocacy organization, PETA's goal is to change people's beliefs and behaviors in order to reduce animal suffering. Most animal cruelty would not happen if consumers took a stand and refused to support the industries that torture animals. It's like environmental organizations trying to persuade people to recycle and not waste resources. You could say that these organizations are "forcing" their values/beliefs on the public, but in a way, that is what they're supposed to be doing. Preaching to the choir never solved any problems. To be effective, organizations like PETA must reach out to people and try to convince them that animals deserve to be treated with compassion.

In the words of Bill Maher: "It's not the worst thing in the world to cross the line. To me, a much worse thing is to never even approach the line."

I agree that PETA doesn't always go about things in the best possible way. I also respect the organization for being so dedicated and persistent in advocating on behalf of animals.

Answer 8

form your own opinion, heres two of  their campaigns:

http://www.fishinghurts.com/pdfs/DaddyKi...

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads...

these are aimed at children for god sake. i eat really only seafood from the  meat category but im appalled at what they do. they have some of the right ideals, but they go about it completely wrong. instead of damaging children, try compromise. extremism never works. it just drives the opposing side further  away.

some more reading:

http://grimthing.com/archives/2005/12/09...

Answer 9

I'm a vegetarian (not fully a vegan) but I don't think PETA is quite as crazy as people claim them to be. I mean I've seen PETA volunteers before and they were actually nice people. There were a few people who would walk by their stand and yell at them, when all they were doing was standing there with flyers, allowing people to take one for free. Maybe some of their campaigns are a little too blunt, but hey it's freedom of speech, and quite frankly they are telling the truth when they say that animals deserve better rights. Some people may not like to hear about it, but its the truth. So I don't think PETA is actually doing anyone harm by spreading their messages about animal rights as long as they aren't breaking any laws.

Answer 10

Ingrate Newturd is a terrorist.

Answer 11

i don't get bothered by them unless they are in my face and invading my space...then i get a bit snappy. other than that i'm cool...  

Answer 12

I love PETA and I'm vegan . They help the innocent. People can learn from them.

Answer 13

well I like them they help out vegans like me by telling me what is meat and what products test on animals but the hole rubbing red paint on people thing is a little extreme  

Answer 14

Im all for animal rights, but I definitely think peta is too extreme. I understand educating people about different issues, but sending you things in the mail to go hand out to people of KFC is too much.

Most people have heard about cruelty to animals and just dont care. In my opinion, thats thier right.

Its my choice to not eat animals and not to support establishments that support animal cruelty. However, I wont push my ethics onto others. Ill leave them to come up with thier own ideals.

Answer 15

What's more extreme? The suffering and killing of innocent creatures for profit, or trying to grab a bit of attention from the corporate-controlled media for the greater good of all living things?

Answer 16

I am a vegetarian and I think PETA does great work as an organisation that raises the profile of animal rights and exposes the cruelty and suffering that humans cause. Sometimes, some of the information is distasteful but if you don't know its going on you never have to think about it.

Thanks for starting this conversation. We all have to justify our decisions to our own consciences, and no one else, but people also need to be informed to make these kinds of decisions.

Answer 17

PETA uses volunteers money to bring animal rights to the forefront.   Since most people cannot see anything unless it slaps them in the face, they sometimes resort to high profile, and sometimes controversial, tactics.  The news will only run things if they grab peoples attention quickly.  Having an argument when no one else is listening does nothing for your cause.  and people choose not to listen.  Think about it, there are still holocaust deniers.  Radical moves must sometimes be made.    

Answer 18

I agree with PETA's general cause.  I'm a vegan and I'm all for treating animals ethically.  I do not agree with a lot of PETA's finer points, though.  As for their strategies, I used to think they did more good than harm, but didn't associate myself with them closely.  Since the ad they came out with after the bus murder in Manitoba, I've washed my hands of PETA completely.  I think they are crass and classless and, frankly, are probably harming the movement more than they are helping it.  I can think of a lot better organizations to support if one wants to further the aims of animal rights and/or animal welfare.

Answer 19

I understand and agree with there beliefs, but sometimes the way they push their beliefs on others is a tad extreme.

I'm vegetarian.

Your not.

What ever floats your boat dude.

Answer 20

I really think that overall they've moved mountains in terms of animal advocacy and I do support the majority of their campaigns but I really disagree with their euthanasia policy which I keep hearing more and more about and their views on keeping pets. I still support them though as I got and continue to get so much good info on veg nutrition from them and ideas on AR.  

Answer 21

Do you see the disconnect? "Everyone has a right to live according to their own beliefs but they shouldn't try to force their beliefs on others..."

Part of the reason for PETA is the belief that animals have a right to be treated with dignity and not have the beliefs of some who don't think animals have any feelings or rights forced upon the animals.

I wonder if you've taken a peek in on the PETA sites to see what they get up to? Some of their campaigns include puppy factories and dogs which are chained up their entire lives in backyards (I knew a dog like that growing up, Snoopy, and he still haunts me). They've been instrumental in getting minimal standards for animal care from suppliers for McDonalds, Burger King, and KFC, and in getting vegetarian alternatives in stores and they help fund and make neutering services available in many communities.

Frankly I've never heard of any sanctioned event where a stranger on the street was splashed with red paint by PETA members. There is however a few times PETA members have painted themselves red or sprayed a window (with washable paint). Here's a cute post about a fur story from s*x in the City and what happened to the furs from that show:

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2007/12/19/kim-c...

Unfortunately the meat and dairy industries as well as a few others from food manufacturers to big chain restaurants are very concerned about PETA's possible effect on their bottomline and profits so have hired a Washington DC lobbyist, Richard (Rick) Berman who truly does use all kinds of questionable tactics to smear groups such as PETA, Greenpeace, MADD and other true consumer watchdog groups looking out for our best interests including mercury poisoning from fish. It is this astroturf group with a bogus charity front paying Berman's PR Firm big bucks which is manipulating numbers and making it seem as if PETA is something horrid. For instance, if you were given sick dogs that died I could say you have a 100% death rate with dogs in your care. It wouldn't matter how they died or why or how much effort you put into saving them. The truth is that millions of healthy dogs and cats are euthanized each year by county animal shelters because no kill shelters can only take so many and have enormous waiting lists especially now with the mortgage crisis. The one near me has a waiting list 400 deep. Neither you nor PETA are an animal shelter but PETA is often asked to help with extreme cases helping them die humanely rather than alone and abandoned, sick and in pain.

Dog breeders feel threatened by PETA's stance on puppy mills and indiscriminate breeding so are enthusiastic about spreading the organized propaganda about the organization.

So really, if anyone is giving Vegetarians and Vegans a bad name it's industry and other people getting used by the industries.

Answer 22

I totally agree.  I am a devout hindu and a pure vegeterian. I don't wear anything made from animal skin or even pearls.  But thats how I choose to live.  I do not push my beliefs onto everyone near and dear to me.  I think PETA is just full of people who want to have the spotlight on them at all time.  I mean look at pamela anderson, who uses the peta excuse for everything.  Who in their right mind would take a person like her seriously.