PETA's latest Thanksgiving scare tactic

By MIKE JONES Associate Editor
Published: 11/20/2011 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 11/20/2011 2:56 AM

Someone tell the folks over at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that Halloween is over and they can stop scaring the kids, although it won't do any good.

PETA abides by the old Hollywood axiom of, "I don't care what you say about me as long as you spell my name right." I know that and I'm probably falling right into that trap, but, despite giving PETA publicity, sometimes the things it does simply can't go unnoticed or uncriticized.

PETA has outraged a lot of folks over the years. It is good at it - and it knows it. It hasn't let us down this holiday season. This year PETA is introducing new billboards. A few cities have been targeted, including Tulsa. The billboards are supposed to show up near schools.

The billboard depicts an animal that is a cross between a turkey and a cute black and white dog. It has a dog face and turkey body. The billboard's message: "Kids: If You Wouldn't Eat Your Dog, Why Eat a Turkey?" Seriously, that's what it says.

Baloney

PETA innocently says it hopes to establish a dialogue between kids and parents about becoming a vegetarian rather than eating meat. Baloney. What PETA is trying to do, what it is always trying to do, is frighten kids. It wants to plant a horrible picture in the heads' of prepubescents that will give them nightmares and ruin everybody's Thanksgiving dinner. Does PETA somehow expect such crass behavior to set little ones along the path to the righteousness of veganism?

As of Friday, there had been no reports of PETA's billboards in Tulsa. Maybe PETA had a change of heart. I doubt it. It's more likely it couldn't get the billboard space or is waiting until closer to Thanksgiving.

Let's get something straight. I love animals. I have two rescue dogs in my home. I have always had pets and I've always treated them well. My dogs, these two and previous dogs, are a part of my family. There was a time when cats also resided in my house. All but one of those was a rescue pet. I no longer hunt. I no longer fish. I don't kill spiders (except for black widows) or snakes. I even have trouble doing in the mouse that wanders around my house. (The dogs certainly are no help.) I don't wear fur.

But I have no problems with those who do hunt or fish. I'm not too crazy about people wearing fur and it upsets me when someone kills a snake for no good reason. And I believe that everyone ought get their dogs and cats from the pound or at least someone's unwanted litter.

On the other hand, I grew up around a farm. There were ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, pigs, milk cows, beef cattle, sheep, horses and a few other critters I have forgotten. Back then I hunted and fished. We ate what we killed - squirrels, rabbits, quail, fish and maybe a few other things that my grandpa figured I was better off not knowing about.

One piece of advice I have given my son (maybe the only good advice and likely the only bit he paid attention to) is never give a name to something you might end up eating.

A purpose

Yes, I have seen slaughter houses. I know what goes on there. I've witnessed the process from start to finish. It's not pretty. Admittedly, most of my up-close encounters were with the food we raised and ate. We sent one steer a year off to slaughter, as well as hogs. The chickens we dismissed ourselves on Sundays. I know there are issues with some big corporate farms where cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys are raised in some pretty sad conditions. I would hope that those conditions can change. I can't bring myself to eat veal.

When you grow up on or around a farm, you learn pretty quickly that everything there has a purpose. Most of those purposes have something to do with eating.

Obviously, I am not against eating meat or poultry or fish or cheese or drinking milk. Neither do I condemn those who don't. I have friends and family members who are or have been vegetarians or vegans. They don't try to convert me nor I them. They certainly don't try to scare the hell out of the kids.

For PETA, however, there is no middle ground, no compromising. Its tactics can be despicable. Taunting customers, again, mostly kids, at burger joints or at fishing derbies. This latest one that puts a turkey on equal footing with a dog does no good toward the cause of vegetarianism. It will do no more than confuse and frighten kids. As far as I'm concerned, it borders on abuse.

The people at PETA ought to be ashamed, but I'm sure they won't be. And they can send me the thank-you note for giving them the publicity for another one of their whacky, tasteless promotions.

Sometimes, however, stupid and mean-spirited simply can't be ignored.

Pass the turkey. Pet the dogs.

Tulsa World

By Chris Davis

TULSA, Okla. —

A new billboard that may go up soon in Tulsa would feature a picture of a crossbred animal meant to educate kids about Thanksgiving turkeys. It's from PETA and they ask, "Kids, if you wouldn't eat your dog, why eat a turkey?"

When we learned PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) may be placing these billboards in the community, we wanted to know what the reasoning was. So, I got on the phone to Paige Snyder, a representative for the group.

"Thanksgiving should be a time for celebration and not a time for animal abuse," she said. "Turkeys may not be as familiar to us as dogs and cats, but they have the same capacity to suffer and that's something kids inately understand."

The plan is to place the billboards near Tulsa schools to spark discussions between kids and parents.

"There are lots of kids out there who just don't want to see a dead bird as a centerpiece at Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully our billboards will spark discussions with their parents." She says then maybe kids would want to give the turkeys a break.

Snyder told me Tulsa is one of only three cities being targeted with the illustrations.

"We're hoping to get them up in Tulsa, Jacksonville and also Salem, Oregon," she said.

And the alternative Thanksgiving meal-a Tofurky. It's a simulated, largely soy-based meat-like product that PETA officials are certain would delight children who know of the plight of the 250 million turkeys killed in the U.S. each year. Almost 40 million of those are killed for the holiday.

PETA's website says turkeys that are bred for food are often crammed into dirty warehouses and die from disease, smothering or heart attack before being slaughtered. The organization points out that the breeding process makes harvest turkeys overweight and their legs buckle from the excess meat.

PETA says vegan meals are a more humane source for holiday food.

News Talk Radio KRMG.com

PETA draws on slavery law to free whales

Animal rights campaigners in the United States have begun a legal battle for the release of five killer whales.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) argue that the whales are being kept as slaves at the SeaWorld marine parks and should be set free under America's 13th Amendment.

"It's the first case in the history of the US that seeks to extend constitutional rights to living, breathing, feeling beings who happen not have been born human," PETA's legal counsel Jeff Kerr said.

Mr Kerr will be taking the case before a judge in California.

"The case is based upon the plain text of the 13th Amendment, which outlaws the condition of slavery, without any reference to any particular class of victims and without reference to persons," he said.

"Slavery does not depend on the species of the slave any more than it depends upon the gender, race, or religion of the slave."

Thomas Jefferson School of Law professor David Steinberg says he finds PETA's claim surprising.

"I never believed that I would hear an argument that human slaves were comparable to animals in a zoo but that is in essence PETA's argument," he said.

"The 13th Amendment was designed to abolish the abhorrent practice of slavery, of enslaving human beings without compensation, treating human beings as property.

"That is something entirely different from the question of whether a marine park like Sea World should or should not have orcas."

But Mr Kerr said it was clear to him that the whales were suffering in captivity.

"By any reasonable definition, these five orcas are enslaved," he said.

"They were forcibly ripped from their homes and families, with whom they would have spent their entire life in nature, they're held captive in the equivalent of concrete bathtubs that cause them great stress and illness and make them aggressive.

"They're denied everything natural to them, they're forced to perform tricks for SeaWorld's profit and they've been turned into virtual breeding machines to churn out more performers for Sea World's tawdry shows.

"So these wild captured animals who are now forced to perform for fleeting human amusement, are by any reasonable definition slaves."

Professor Steinberg however says the 13th Amendment was never intended to apply to animals.

"It was obvious that slavery meant slavery of human beings," he said.

"The fact that it doesn't say people is because the term was unnecessary to the 13th Amendment, it would have been surplusage."

In a statement, SeaWorld said it had no higher priority than the welfare of the animals in its care.

Mr Kerr however is convinced that the days of marine parks for large mammals are numbered.

"This is going to happen whether it's in this lawsuit or next month or next year, the fundamental rights of animals to be free from human enslavement is going to be recognised," he said.

"It's just a question of when and we believe that the time is right, certainly we believe that the public is ready, we know the orcas are definitely ready and we believe that the law is in place.
"So we're anxious to have the case heard."

Yahoo! 7 News

PETA targets Battlefield 3 for cruelty against rats

EA's wartime shooter cited in animal rights complaint
Matt Bradford on November 8, 2011

A German branch of PETA, the worldwide animal rights organization that apparently uses Minority Report-esque technology to predict and fight future animal crimes, is taking Battlefield 3 to task over its murderous treatment of virtual rats; a treatment, it says, that will motivate young men to practice their rat-killing impulses on real life victims.

“The realistic computer game 'Battlefield 3' treats animals in a sadistic manner,” reads part of PETA translated statement. “The game gives players the option to kill a rat with a combat knife in the back in order to then lift it by its tail, then toss it away. Killing virtual animals can have a brutalizing effect on the young male target audience. There have been repeated cases of animal cruelty in Germany, where young people kill animals. Inspiration behind these acts often came from movies and computer games.”


There is some merit to the argument that fictitious violence—be it in TV, movies, video games, or 1940s radio plays--begets real life violence in a tiny sub-section of unbalanced players. Still, to say BF3 should be called out for its rat killing is like saying Grand Theft Auto IV should be flogged for its depiction of crimes against mail boxes; that is, there are bigger fish to fry--er...sorry...to be let free to swim forever in blissful harmony with nature.

The last time PETA took aim at video games was with the launch of its Super Meat Boy mock game, Super Tofu Boy. Perhaps this means we'll soon be playing Rattlefield 3?

GamesRadar

Wisconsin Farm Bureau leader defends dairy industry

For years, outside activist groups have been trying to discredit the dairy industry, painting dairy products as "fattening" and "unhealthy," said Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Bill Bruins.

"There's no denying the fact that groups like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) and the rest of the 'foodies' are really trying to scare the consuming public away from eating animal products," Bruins said. "I don't see any legitimate reason why people are going after the dairy industry."

Bruins, of Waupun, points out that dairy products are still included on the USDA Food Pyramid which illustrates the components of a healthy diet. The USDA recommends two to three servings from the dairy group and stresses the importance of using low-fat products.

Bruins concurs with Laura Wilford, a registered dietician for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, that dairy products combined with a healthy diet can help a person maintain or lose weight.

"I don't think you can refute that," Bruins said. "It's what you put on the plate along side of that milk."

Bruins firmly believes that dairy products are a wise choice for consumers.

"I just think the consuming public has to feel good about using milk and dairy products in their diet. They are tested and screened and are wholesome and healthy foods," he said.

fdlreporter.com

PETA's version of truth

NEVER let the facts get in the way of a good story seems to be the motto of animal rights group PETA.
As the northern hemisphere moves into winter, the dills at PETA is telling people 10 good reasons not to wear wool.
The sheep, you see, will get depressed, according to PETA.

"(Sheep) show signs of depression similar to those that humans show by hanging their heads and avoiding positive actions."

On the other hand, when sheep are happy they "wag their tails when they are stroked, just like dogs".


"They affectionately nuzzle people in order to get their attention."

Awww, isn't that cute?

But the best "reason" of all is the sheep's fleece is an unnatural overload that "causes many sheep to collapse and even die of heat exhaustion during hot months".

Err, if it were true, wouldn't that be a good reason to shear them?

weeklytimesnow

PETA plans to relocate deer within Kinston city limits

October 11, 2011 12:00 AM

Jon Dawson

Columnist

According to an official within the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization, local members plan to start trapping area deer and squirrels.

“We’re not trapping them for sport, though,” said Edith Cronhour of Kinston. “We’re going to move them to a safe place — the city limits.”

Cronhour said she and fellow PETA members have so far captured four deer and 17 squirrels.

“We believe it’s inhumane to hunt down these poor animals for sport,” Cronhour said. “We figured the only way to get these animals out of the reach of the hunter’s rifles was to move them to an area where shooting is illegal — the city.”

Fellow Animal Security Specialist (A.S.S.) Jeremy Montaugh says he looks forward to the day when young fawns will be spotted drinking out of the coffee cups of homeless people on Queen Street.

“Me and some of my buddies did a trial run of this program in Boston a few years ago,” Montaugh said. “There were a few hitches — the sight of a deer being roasted in an alley by a group of homeless people was demoralizing. We tried to explain to the homeless guys that meat was bad for them, but they just kept biting us on the ankles, so we had to leave.”

Hunters in Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties have reacted with a combination of disbelief and what one witness described as “violent guffaws.”

“Hunting is a tradition in our family,” said Jon Nugent of Wheat Swamp. “I’ll bet this PETA crowd is the same bunch who don’t get upset when a human being dies, but if the President of The United States swats at a fly, they get their panties in a knot.

“And for the record, I ain’t against panties; I wear my frilly John Deere britches every time I go hunting; see — they’ve got a flower on the front.”

What Nugent was referring to was a statement released by PETA after President Obama was shown swatting a fly during an interview. The following is an excerpt:

“We support compassion for all animals, even the most curious, smallest, and least sympathetic animals. We hope that everyone will take inspiration from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who included insects in his realm of compassion and would stop to move a worm from hot pavement to cool earth.”

While Cronhour and Montaugh seem committed to the cause, fellow A.S.S. Bill Scheft of Greene County admits he’s on board for selfish reasons.

“One day in college, me and a buddy got in what we thought was a line for Phish tickets,” Scheft said. “I guess we’d done too much baking the night before, but it turns out we’d actually joined a protest against coffee grinding machines. No, dude, totally, this really hot chick at the rally told me if you put your ear up against the grinder, you can actually hear the tiny screams of each coffee bean as it’s ground to a fine powder.”

Scheft said that day changed his life forever, although he still drinks at least a gallon of coffee before 10 a.m. everyday.

“I learned that hot, politically active chicks dig dudes they think are politically active, too,” Scheft said. “Picking up women at protests is much cheaper than normal dating. I don’t waste money on dinners, because all I have to do is say I’m protesting the low pay the restaurant workers receive; that same argument guarantees I’ll never have to read another newspaper again.”

Cronhour said a holding pen for the deer and squirrels has been erected in a secluded location adjacent to the Kinston city limits.

“It’s been quite a challenge housing these animals; the feces has piled up a lot quicker than I thought,” Cronhour said. “In retrospect, it may have been ill-advised to feed them spaghetti.”

On the other side of the fence, John Nugent says he’s started a group of his own to combat what he refers to as “a group of hippies who should be forced to crop tobacco for a summer.”

“Me and the boys from the Tin Shack Hunting Club are going to set up our deer stands inside the Kinston city limits,” Nugent said. “We usually tick a lot of people off out in the county when they’re trying to enjoy a quiet Saturday afternoon, but we figure a little extra gunfire added to the mix of the usual city gunfire won’t disturb anybody in Kinston.”

When asked if he thought hunters migrating into the city to hunt would cause an increase in the amount of gunfire within the city limits, local panhandler Crazy Courthouse Man responded dolefully:

“There are so many guns in Kinston, the deer will probably learn how to use them and shoot back, orange hats or not; deer are color-blind, you know. Them deer from the county are all high from sniffing them meth labs; let them get in here and tangle with these crackheads; they’ll have to put wheels on that gun boat and run ‘em all out’n here together. Have you every seen two groups shooting at each other while running from a third?

“It’ll make you wet your britches. Whoops … guess I’m way ahead of ’em.”

Kinston.com