Is PETA a good organization?

Question

I’m a vegetarian, I’m for animal rights and I’ve always known that PETA has done some extreme things but I still supported PETA … but when I heard about PETA sending a letter to the parents of that man who had is head cut off on a Greyhound bus in Canada, and comparing it to the beheading of animals, I thought that was wrong, really wrong. They sent that letter to the parents only a few days after it happened.

Is PETA really interested in animal rights, or are they only interested in furthering their political agenda by doing extreme stunts for media attention (which creates revenue for their organization)?

Answer 1

PETA is not all the great, they are more the latter rather than a real animal rights org. They could be doing a whole lot more to help animal and earth liberation rather than worrying about themselves and exploiting women. They are horribly sexist and in some cases have been unintentionally racist (or maybe it was intentional, not totally sure but from what I have heard it was not) At most PETA is a good starting group to get information from but really they are just a flashy corporate group.

I would suggest looking into these groups and campaigns:

http://www.closehls.org

http://www.seashepherd.org

http://www.earthfirstjournal.org/

http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/ (a great resource about the greenscare)

http://www.animalliberationfront.com/ (they are a non violent group that will not hurt any living beings if any living beings are hurt it is an action of ARM or an unaffiliated group (or agent-provacateurs trying to give a bad name to the ALF), the ALF has a policy of no physical violence against living beings human or non human!)

Answer 2

i'm a vegetarian of 30 years and honestly i think peta has gone to h**l.

i wouldn't support them.

Answer 3

I think thet they have good causes, but are kind of extreme.

Answer 4

I think that both of your thoughts are right.  They do some great things, but they also do some off the wall things.  I'm against the poor treatment of animals, but I also believe that us humans have to put each other first.  Survival of the fittest!  Seems like they have absolutely no interest in the emotions and struggles of humans.  That's fine though, no organization will please me completely.. and it is simply my opinion.  Nothing is ever perfect.  Their passion and values for animals has saved a lot of little lives, so I can't complain that they should change their values.  But in cases like this, with the Greyhound beheading, they had no right to get involved in any way other than sending their condolences.  They should stay away from situations that don't involve animals.

This would be a great question to post in Politics too.

Answer 5

no extremist organisation is ever justifiable.  animal cruelty is a serious issue that must be dealt with,  but the act you reference crosses the line of human decency.  all causes start off well intentioned, and peta has had some very good intentions, which initially i aknowlaged it as a decent group. if you really look at anything at all, youll see that extremist ways are never the right approach. it just drives the opposition further from reaching compramise. animals will ALWAYS  be eaten. a club perceived as looneys by everyone else will do nothing to change that. i think more important goals are to be attained, not the elimination of meat which is blatently naiive, but reducion of its production and improvements in animal husbandry and slaughter.  

Answer 6

PETA is completely, and totally insane on all levels. I seriously hate that people assume I support them because I'm vegan. They have some great ideas, but they're way, WAY too overbearing and extreme about it.

Answer 7

They are a good organization; and they are perceived as extreme. Mass, conventional, corporate slaughter of millions of animals yearly is an extremely heinous act. I think they do great work, and I can't stomach their info: but it's still true and happening...

And just so the facts are straight:

"The animal rights group PETA has tried to run a newspaper ad comparing the beheading of a bus passenger in Canada last week to animal treatment by the meat industry."

no letter to the parents

PETA mission statement:

"People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2.0 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.

PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds and other "pests," and the abuse of backyard dogs.

PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns."

Answer 8

I agree, PETA is just crazy. They're interested in the right things, but the way they present themselves is just ridiculous. Be a happy vegetarian, stand up for what you believe in, and just be proud of what you are! PETA flaunts it to the extreme, which is obnoxious.

They do have some helpful resources, but their political status is... just... not good.

Answer 9

Wherever you hit vegetarian topics in cyberspace will appear PETA.

PETA is root for most other vegetarian hosts, and even mine is not PETA but improved from that. One way that EVERYONE is well known PETA for it's good or bad. Nevertheless you are smart than PETA, should do more than them. Not just keep on talking, lol!

Answer 10

While I'm a long time vegan, I feel sad some of the time about organisations like PETA falsely representing, in the minds of many of the public, what all vegans are like.

I don't agree with much of what PETA does: while they have some good campaigns, PETA has never seemed to have worked out that appearing coercive or violent, and alienating the public with shock tactics, turns off the very people that might otherwise be opening to listening to your ideas.

As I recall, MLK and Gandhi had some very good ideas about how to affect change.

I think PETA could learn a lot from studying them.

Answer 11

PETA is a very extreme organization that should have tax exempt status examined because of their support of ALF and ELF.