What's up with PeTA?

Question

When, precisely, did PeTA make the determination that human life is of little or no value when compared to animal life? Why is it that a group that campaigns of the ideal of all life being equally important can trivialize and exploit the suffering human beings in their unrelenting crusade to help animals?

Is it that PeTA is simply a vocal member of the lunatic fringe, and many people don't realize it or is there something more to their tactics?

For example, are they justified in the following: http://blog.peta.org/archives/2008/08/cannibalistic_a.php or does a group which condemns cruelty against animals have an obligation to hold that standard to humanity as well?

I suppose what drives me in this question is: What use is the humane treatment of animals if you're willing to give up your humanity in the process?

Answer 1

if people treated animals with the respect they deserve, peta wuld not exist.  

Answer 2

I apologize for the long answer, but I have a lot to say :)

I don't believe that PeTA ever made a 'determination' that human life is of little or no value when compared to animal life.  However, it is clear that they are willing to exploit the death of an innocent human to create awareness for their own cause.

This is highly selfish of them, but I don't believe that is a determination of the man's worth (probably more of a manipulation of his worth). Although, I wouldn't be surprised if they showed up at his funeral.  

It is clear and undeniable that humans have brought life to a new level of intelligence, and have effectively drawn a line in the chain of life separating themselves from the rest.

It is up to each of us to decide whether or not this line is justified, and if it is - we must decide if this justifies our species' treatment of other living organisms.  

Is it fair to blame a Venus flytrap for killing innocent flies?  Is it cruel for a spider to trap its prey in a cage of webs - only to let it starve to death (or to a weakened state that is perfect for murder)?  Is it fair to blame the lioness for murdering innocent prey to feed her cubs?

Of course the above-mentioned examples of 'natural murder' are done out of necessity (admittedly, the first two clearly are not even animals) - And the way our societies have organized the production of food may not be necessary, but animals are not a new addition to the human palate by any stretch of the imagination.  

So, I wonder how our societies would hold up if PeTA got its way.  

Billions of animals set free, entire industries shut down, millions of jobs lost, and an immense amount of food deemed uneatable.

Life has thrived upon its ability to consume other life in order to sustain future life.

Those who draw lines between which life forms are edible and which aren't.... are simply ignorant to the processes of life.

I love humans, I love animals, I love plants, I love life...

The fact that we consume plants does not make us cruel; the fact that we consume animals does not make us cruel.  

The Real Point?

The man who consumed part of another man on a bus, did not do so to sustain his life, he did it out of some sort of mental disorder or psychotic behavior.

Humans do not attack and kill animals out of some psychotic frenzy (except for serial killers in training).

It would be nice if PeTA hadn't confused this issue while degrading an innocent mans life.

"The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a wide-spread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible."

- Bertrand Russell

Answer 3

====

How we treat the least among us is the one and only truly reliable assessment of our genuine humanity...

====

As Maggie says, if animals were treated well there would be no reason for PETA.

But oddly people think a group for animals should be for humans who do these things to animals. Well, the better animals are treated the better humans are too. We lose our humanity when we treat animals as commodities.

Just a few of the articles to show the inhumanities associated with mistreated food animals that go on day after day after day to humans:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/opinio...

http://www.goveg.com/feat/AgriProcessors...

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/08/03/u...

http://legacy.charlotteobserver.com/poul...

http://grist.org/news/maindish/2006/02/2...

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/...

http://cjrarchives.org/issues/2004/1/oma...

http://www.celsias.com/article/the-pig-f...

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/sto...

Not to mention the PETA "kills" site is run by a Washington DC lobbying group hired by the meat, restaurant and big corn industries (among others) to smear PETA but does by making dozens of Astroturf front group "charities" that hire a PR company run by the same guy, Richard (Rick) Berman, so he makes millions off of it. He sheds crocodile tears about how cancer needs animals to test on while representing companies that sell cancer causing products (including Monsanto which ironically brought us Astroturf to begin with -- now a major source of lead poisoning -- and saccharine, aspartame, PCBs/Dioxins, herbicides and untested GMO to stuff down the animals throats and hormones to inject dairy cows with), and Hooters the ultimate in women exploitation in a chain no less is one of his customers as are all the anti-union companies who wish to exploit humans for low wages and throw them away when they've been used up.

Some of the fake charity groups supported by big business that profits from the inhumanity:

Center for Consumer Freedom Umbrella:

*   activistcash dot com

*   cspiscam dot com

*   physicianscam dot com

*   fishscam dot com

*   neoprohibition dot com

*   animalscam dot com and petakillsanimals dot com

*   obesitymyths dot com

The Employment Policies Institute

American Beverage Institute

Employment Roundtable

Center for Union Facts

Employee Freedom Action Committee

It's one of their employees who was in the Penn & Teller episode which they pretty much bought and paid for.

==

We are being manipulated and it's not by PETA.

Answer 4

One of the high end questions here- reason for being a Veg*n…working towards the ‘root”… Psychology of Human Violence!

When you study the "Human Psychology” & “Real FBI files” - human violence and beyond... you would realize that way of treating animal is a fundamental debacle, and everything else stem from it. Man who enslave, massacre and abuse animals would seldom stop there...he will later go beyond the species, gender, family, race, tribe, religious and color.

I indeed researched many video footages of animal & human beheading. Ethically they were same, but emotionally differ. It just a substance of "Code of Ethics" for different types of people at different moment of time and environment. I think this point of moment everyone would agree to this.

I'm not PETA neither against it, but it just some real people “working towards the root"... non-violence! Anything which makes people less happy is bad.

Read "The World Greatest Crimes, Crooks & Corruption”, Past and Present" by Chancellor Press.

Answer 5

I'm vegan and I don't like PETA.   They have the worst tactics for what is essentially a good cause.  

Answer 6

Shock tactics work. You've taken notice, and are discussing it, therefore their ad campaign has worked.

Unfortunately with so much violence in the world, what average joe is going to care if a few animals die needlessly? This kind of tactic gets people thinking.

I do support PETA in their campaign against animal cruelty. I do believe that the animal testing carried out is unnecessary as we are still using the same chemical compounds in our cosmetics and household cleaning products that we always have. I do believe that animals have a right to live a natural, cruelty free life. I don't agree with their stance on companion animals. Honestly if I set my chihuahua free, he'd last five minutes before being eaten by snake or killed by a car. I have two stray cats and a dog from a shelter. Pets enrich our lives and we enrich their lives too.

Eight Hundred Thousand cattle are slaughtered every day in America, is it necessary? Do Americans eat that much meat? Is it necessary to keep pigs in tiny cages, where they can't turn around, when it is widely recognised that a pig has the same level of intelligence as a three year old child? Why I should I be penalised for driving my car to work, when Intensive Feed-lotting creates more greenhouse gas ino one year then all the cars, trucks and buses on the roads?

We need the lunatics to scream. Its the only way the average Joe takes any notice.

Answer 7

It's kind of sad because they're going to turn people away from their cause instead of the other way around using these kinds of tactics.

Answer 8

Did PeTA ever say that they valued animals above humans? Don't get me wrong, I'm not a supporter of PeTA, but I didn't get the impression that they were valuing the lives of animals above humans in that blog. I think they were more trying to compare violent acts in an attempt to make animals and humans equals - but like many of PeTA's protests, it didn't come out right.

If you do find some evidence suggesting that PeTA do really care about animals more than humans, then tell me about it because that is WRONG. Animals and humans are equal - not one dominating the other.

EDIT: Wow, 6 thumbs down already. Was it because I said that animals and humans are equal, or because I'm not drastically against PETA

Answer 9

They have the crossed the line!

I think they have gone over the top in the last couple of years. I know they are trying to get across a good cause, but, I mean, why can't they do it in a different way? I am sure that they don't know they are coming across that way.

On the other hand, they do care about animals, and it is good that they want to help. They are trying to care, but maybe they are caring too much? Is that possible? I guess so.

PETA is a very controversial organization. I am half on their side and half not. I guess it's all on how you look at it. People have their own opinions and they are entitled to it. If they want to value animals' lives over theirs, go ahead.

Answer 10

I don't necessarily agree with this, but Ingrid Newkirk has stated that there are enough organizations to stand up for humans, PETA exists to stand up for animals.

A part of my veganism is trying to live as cruelty-free as possible- and that INCLUDES lessening human suffering. People are animals, too.

Answer 11

PETA has proven time and again that they are an extreme fringe group.  

Answer 12

Well I like animals more then people :)

If there was a drowning baby or cat Id save the cat :)

Thumbs me down if you want I dont really care but thats just who I am.

People are trying really hard to give attention to stop the cruelty of animals..if dieing in the process happens so be it but theyre just trying to get a message across. I know PETA has its problems and secrets but they are getting attention that people need to stop and start doing things. I learned a lot from them such as cruelty free products and such.  

Answer 13

I am against unnecessary animal testing.

HOWEVER..

PETA has stated before that, 'Even if animal testing of one animal could provide a cure for AIDS, PETA would still be against it.'

I'm sorry, but that is an absolutely disgusting statement.

To say that the life of one animal is worth more than the lives of thousands of people just goes to show how over-the-top some people can be.

Protesting the use of animal testing by comestic companies and such is one thing. After all, is eyeshadow or lip gloss really worth more than a life?

However, PETA attacks groups that try to find cures for TERMINAL ILLNESS.

It might just be me, but I see a huge difference in experimenting on a rabbit to see if a certain perfume will give you hives, and experimenting on a rabbit to try to FIND THE CURE FOR CANCER.

Answer 14

I'm a vegetarian, and I find it deplorable that Peta would capitalize on this tragedy. I'm not too surprised though, since for a long time I've thought that Peta was more about collecting millions in donations than caring about changing the world.

To Ohiz: Excellent answer. I enjoyed reading your thoughts. :)

Answer 15

They are attention whores.

Answer 16

Um... You suck, leave Peta alone, and go away.

Edit: I'm psychotic because I care about animals?

Listen, maybe some of the tactics that Peta uses is a little extreme, but overall they are fighting for a very good cause.

If you don't like what they do, then don't pay attention to them. They are not going to stop what they do just because you or anyone else disagrees with their actions. Oh, and whoever is giving me the thumbs down, you know where to go...

Edit 2: Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said that you suck, I just get defensive over this subject. I was actually being a little sarcastic. But seriously, all of these people giving me thumbs down is a little bit ridiculous. I am just giving my opinion. I don't care if you don't agree with it.

Edit 3: I just read the article and it made me sick. But it really has nothing to do with Peta, other than them wanting to compare a beheading of a man, to what they do to animals such as cows, on a daily bases. Cruelty is cruelty no matter what the species. If humans are higher and more above than animals, than maybe they should act the part. I guess I am somewhat biased, because not everyone but most people who are against Peta are also against animals. I have read the comments that Peta haters have left. They mostly talk about how helping animals is a waste of time, that they are weird for spending their time fighting for animals instead of humans, and etc.

Answer 17

There have already been a couple of questions about this ad on here in the last day or so. There hasn't been much in the way of support for Peta.

No they are not justified; to exploit that poor man's brutal murder in the way they have done is shameless opportunism. They have abandoned all pretence at decency and their proposed ad is offensive, tastelessand sickening  in the extreme.

I fear there are still some people who think that Peta represents the views of most vegans and vegetarians; they don't.

Answer 18

I don't understand them either... the lunatic fringe.

Just the other day I saw a commercial for some Pamela Anderson "reality show"... she sees a stool with a seal-skin seat and then THROWS the stool.

I would have had that little tart arrested for vandalism, and stood in the WAY of the stool so I could toss on an assault charge.

EDIT: I'm a goat and chicken rancher... I don't like or tolerate animal cruelty, but that AD makes me laugh.