Behind PETA's lettuce curtain

[SkyeTerrier]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050722-085338-5284r.htm

Here's what the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wanted you to see this week: two Playboy Playmates -- clad only in lettuce -- handing out vegetarian hot dogs on Capitol Hill Wednesday as cameras clicked away.
Here's what PETA didn't want you to see: two PETA employees attending a court hearing Tuesday in North Carolina on charges they killed and dumped 31 cats and dogs in a shopping center's trash bins. While the court case is pending, the controversy swirling around PETA and associated animal rights extremists, is again Page One news.

<snip>

In our 21st-century world of wonder drugs and lightning-fast advances in medical technology, we live longer, healthier lives than ever. Every day, researchers in hospitals, universities and -- yes -- private corporations like pharmaceutical companies, come closer and closer to curing, or at least postponing death from, such scourges as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental illness. Like it or not, much of this progress is achieved by testing cures on animals and not because the men and women working for such companies are cruel people. They do this because they view life as precious, devote their professional lives to preserve it, and because federal law mandates and regulates it.
On the other hand, we have the extreme wing of the animal rights movement, often operating behind the shield of its more recognized visage -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. These folks believe there can never be any justification for animal testing. If achieving their goal means humans must suffer, then inflicting needless pain, trauma, grief and death on people is merely a necessary means to a worthwhile end. And, a report by the Anti-Defamation League -- hardly a bastion of extreme conservatism -- says radical environmental and animal-rights groups have wreaked more than $100 million in damage over the past two decades. <snip>

[Kolesar]

1. whatever

Washington Times

[we laugh indoors]

6. Ugh.

My uncle is one of the editors or something. So conservative, it hurts.

[katsy]

2. $100M? chump change.

government blows that every day.

If someone breaks the law... they'll pay their dues. Why demonize a whole group.

This is beginning to smell like the same bullshit reagan started when he started pointing at "welfare queens".

[foursquare]

3. fetus tissue for research=OK , animals for research=notOK

It is a little sad...

that we have decided that it OK to use to use the human fetus to advance medical knowledge (Use of adult stem tissue is not subject to any funding restrictions. Only the Embroyonic stem cell tissue is subject to funding restrictions), but we can't use animals.

When did animals become more important than humans?

[Poor Richard Lex]

4. hmm, tissue used in research vs. whole live animals

I think it is probably because the tissue isn't going to scream in pain and fear while it is having makeup slathered in its eyes or dying from some horrible disease or another so scientists can observe.

To tell the truth, I don't think there really are that many safeguards against unnecessary or mailicious animal testing. But if there were, I could see why there should be some laws to protect a living breathing animal as opposed to a bunch of cells in a petri dish.

[katsy]

5. You got that right...

And welcome to DU!

:hi:

[friesianrider]

10. Kinda what I'm thinking as well...

Let's see...a bunch of cells in a petri dish versus a living, breathing, feeling animal (which, after all, is what we human beings are).

Yeah, I'm gonna go with it's better to test on cells - maybe I'm just a PETA psycho. :eyes:

[LeftyMom]

11. blastocysts vs. living feeling animals

In a fire would you save eight human cells on a slide or a dog?

[bertha katzenengel]

13. "When did animals become more important than humans?" two things

1. embryonic stem cells are neither human beings nor fetuses

2. when did warmongers become the proponents of the "culture of life" -- and when did people intelligent enough to use the internet begin to swallow the "culture of life" lie?

[flvegan]

7. The sound of backfire.

It's funny when folks hate something. They'll do anything to expose that particular thing or person. It's a very Republican thing to do.

The article referenced by the original poster was written by Bob Barr. Need a refresher on Bob Barr (former R-GA, of all fucking things, with an article posted here on DU). Here's the wiki:

Bob Barr
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Robert L. (Bob) Barr, Jr. (born November 5, 1948) is an attorney and a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia. Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia, from 1995 to 2003.

Barr, a member of the Republican Party, is an adamant proponent of the War on Drugs. Prior to his work in Congress, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. He served from 1986 until 1990. Despite being an ardent drug warrior, Barr opposed the RAVE Act.

While Congressman Barr supported and voted for the USA PATRIOT Act, he was one of the chief architects of the 'sunset clause' which requires most new powers granted to the government under the act to be renewed by Congress in 2005. Since leaving Congress in 2003, he has become a vocal opponent of the Patriot Act and has stated that he regrets voting for it, and opposes any attempt by Congress to renew many of its provisions in 2005.

He is also a staunch supporter of the right to bear arms. He achieved the most fame as one of the leaders of the effort that resulted in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton (who was later spared removal from office).

More recently Barr has become one of the more prominent members of the American Civil Liberties Union, sometimes doing paid consulting on privacy issues. In the 2004 Presidential election, Barr abandoned the Republican Party and publicly endorsed the presidential ticket of the United States Libertarian Party .

Barr's district was carved up by the Democrat-controlled Georgia legislature in the reapportionment preceding the 2002 elections: he elected to challenge fellow Republican Congressman John Linder and lost in the primary. He was succeeded by Rep. Linder in a district that bore little resemblance to the one which he had represented.

<snip>

While I appreciate Mr. Barr's "change" from his former rethuglican self, it would seem that some tigers can't change ALL their stripes. This article is full of bs, as is Mr. Barr.

But hey, soon, someone will be at 70 posts, all anti-PETA. I smell agenda.

[smbolisnch]

8. Snap!

:yourock:

[friesianrider]

9. Damn.

Snap in Z formation! You rock flvegan - this is why you're my DU crush :loveya:

[bertha katzenengel]

12. You're quoting a column against PETA from - The Washington Times?

:rofl:

[Robeson]

14. Do you read the Washington Times a lot?.....

...uh, um, OK....:eyes:

[noamnety]

15. I think some parts of the article are missing

1. Where is the part where Frist denounces the disposal of the cats?

2. Where is the part where the author, having described the painful death distasteful disposal of the animals, demands adequate funds for animal shelters?

They must have edited this version for length, eh?

[livinginphotographs]

16. Breeders are scum.

And the Washington Times is a right-wing rag.

You're really reaching, aren't you? :eyes:

Don't you have some cats to declaw or something?