Has PETA gone too far?

[WillieW]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-02-09-peta-westminster-kkk-protest_N.htm

[Strathos]

1. PETA usually goes too far

I think they are way too extreme sometimes and instead of focusing on helping needy animals,they'd rather convert everyone to their way of thinking.

[rucky]

6. I don't think they're interested in convincing anybody of anything.

They just like attention for attention's sake.

[etherealtruth]

17. Exactly

Their actions do not encourage discussion of the supposed subject at hand, only discussion of their stunts.

"Attention for attention's sake" .... no more, no less.

[Karmadillo]

24. So their achievements are simply byproducts of their insatiable desire for attention?

nt

[rucky]

35. I'm a little unclear on their achievements.

But I can rattle off a few from the SPCA

[Karmadillo]

43. Post #20 contains a link to PETA's many achievements.

nt

[MadHound]

2. PETA does have a point,

All this purebred bullshit has ruined entire breeds. And the snobbish attitudes of many of these breeders, and the dog show itself, is rather assholish. Why not let mixed breeds in? After most of the best dogs I've met have been mutts. I never understood having a major dog show that doesn't include mixed breeds.

But breeding has ruined some breeds. Hip dysplasia wasn't a problem in German Shepards and other dogs a hundred years ago. But these show breeders wanted dogs with the sloping hindquarters, and now
hip dysplasia is endemic among large breeds. Same thing has happened with intelligence and temperment too.

Sure, this is a bit over the top, but that's how PETA operates, and they've been fairly effective with that tactic over the years.

[skepticscott]

9. The problem is

that at least technically, they would have to change their entire judging system to do that. Right now, (again technically), judgement of each dog is not against the other dogs, but against the standard for the dog's particular breed (i.e. the "ideal" version of that breed). There would be no way to have such a standard for mixed-breed dogs.

[Submariner]

3. If their methods helps achieve their goals

and it doesn't hurt anybody, then they haven't gone too far. These breeding mills should be stopped.

[Joanne98]

4. Sometimes I think PETA is a CIA operation. Designed to make the left look stupid.

I don't think it's working since the left keeps complaining about their them. Thank God!

[MadHound]

5. Actually the "left" supports PETA,

It's those on the center, center left who are uncomfortable about PETA, despite the fact that they've be effective in many areas, including getting KFC to raise their chickens in a much more humane manner.

[stray cat]

7. No breast milk in Ben and Jerry's ice cream yet

and I don't have to set my cats free in the wild to get killed in the "natural state" to be a good person

[arcadian]

33. I don't know why they chose Norfolk, Virginia as their headquarters.

Norfolk is a little more liberal than the surrounding cities of V.B., Chesapeake and Suffolk, but it's got the huge military installations. It's not a great media hub. There are no other lobbying organization. And yet I used to see PETA people out in front of KFC around Hampton Roads regularly. I would think they would want a place like NoVa or D.C. for their national HQ, but there they are in Norfolk.

[Karmadillo]

44. They recently bought an office in DC.

http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=D5F682DCF734F9D35F9382FF84E440EF

PETA, the animal rights group, purchased the 5,802-square-foot building at 1536 16th St. NW in Washington, DC, from Rebuilding Together Inc. for $2.76 million, or about $475 per square foot.

The three-story office building delivered in 1900. PETA will occupy the property, which is a few blocks east of Dupont Circle.

more...

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. I had a PETA person

complain to me about an organic commercial egg production operation that is inspected, approved and under 24/7 remote video surveillance by the Humane Society. This would be an operation where no chemicals or growth hormones are used. The birds are not confined or caged and are permitted free access to the outdoors in a safe confined area that predators cannot access. I guess the PETA person thought we should all become vegan. Nothing wrong with being vegan - but it is copletely unrealistic to think that it is a lifestyle that is going to be embraced by the majority in our culture.

I think this is much the same. Over the top, out of touch and unrealistic.

[Paladin]

10. There's No Such Thing As Bad Publicity.

Whenever there's a PETA thread at DU, people come roaring in, shrieking about the group's latest incident. All this does is encourage PETA to do something more outrageous next time---and why not? Their technique is working: for every person who thinks their methods are reprehensible, another person hears about them and joins up. Want to really hurt PETA? Shut the hell up about them. Look how it's worked on Ann Coulter---once people started ignoring her as a psychotic, carnival side-show hack, her influence waned......

[KittyWampus]

14. you've got the ratio wrong. It's more like for every 100 people that hear about PETA & think they're

extreme idiots maybe ONE joins them.

[seabeyond]

i use to support them. i dont now. one gone here. n/t

[The Straight Story]

21. I know a peanut corp. that might disagree

;)

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

30. No, there really is.

Blackwater sure didn't like the attention it got from Iraq, so much so that they changed their name. Same with Philip Morris. And I don't think Mother Church saw an uptick in Mass attendance after that whole priest molestation scandal thing.

[seabeyond]

37. this is one of the stupidest sayings that roles off tongue. convinces no one. yes

here is such a thing as bad publicity, when one turns their back on the co or org

Peta undoubtedly bought into the stupid, knee jerk, ad guy (probably having gotten bad publicity) comment

[Paladin]

39. But Other Than That, You Liked My Post Just Fine, Right? (n/t)

[seabeyond]

41. bah hahhaha. lol lol. funny. actually ya cause

you perfectly set it up so i could finally say what has been needed to be said for a long while

thanks
:hi:

[Karmadillo]

11. If only the Democrats were as skilled in achieving their stated goals as PETA.

nt

[blondeatlast]

13. Honest question: What has PETA achieved? nt

[Karmadillo]

20. Honest answer.

http://www.peta.org/about/victories.asp

If you click on the above link, you'll find a long list of PETA's achievements. Each year has several pages detailing what PETA has done. It's worth the read just to be able to decide for yourself whether the organization is a meritorious one.

Just to pick a few:

http://www.peta.org/about/victories_date.asp?page=3&selected_year=2008

2008 - PETA Wins KFC Campaign in Canada!

http://www.peta.org/about/victories_date.asp?page=2&selected_year=2007

2007 - Monastery Closes Its Abusive Egg Factory Farm

http://www.peta.org/about/victories_date.asp?selected_year=2006

2006 - Covance Fined for Violations of the Animal Welfare Act

lots, lots, more...

[blondeatlast]

22. Then their PR machinery fails miserably. The SPCA accomplishes as much

without the media circuses and a batrshit crazy founder like Newkirk.

I applaud the results--but they didn't acheive those by themselves, so I'm not convinced.

[Karmadillo]

23. Honest question. Since you've apparently compared the two,

could you point out specifically how the SPCA has accomplished as much as PETA? I thought the SPCA's focus was narrower.

Also, which of the many achievements listed did PETA not achieve by themselves? And for those where they had allies, did PETA play a significant role in achieving the final result?

[varelse]

34. I personally know of at least four people converted to vegetarianism

due to PETA's disclosure of the inhumane, unsanitary and unhealthy conditions and/or practices which are standard operating procedures in most factory farms.

Not much, but it is *something*.

[Eryemil]

12. They serve their purpose

[KittyWampus]

15. which is?

[Eryemil]

18. To attract attention and to distract.

[Karmadillo]

27. Distract from what?

nt

[Eryemil]

29. They bring attention to the issues in ways no one else is willing to

[Karmadillo]

31. Very true.

nt

[havocmom]

16. Years ago!

When they broke into a lab at UA and 'set the animals free' that was too far for me. Lab raised animals not prepared for life 'on the outside', especially ones in the middle of experiments and receiving treatment.

[Greyhound]

19. Sometimes, but not in this case. n/t

[NeedleCast]

25. Long ago....this is just the latest insanity

[Iktomiwicasa]

26. If PETA says it....

....I automatically ignore it.

[ifuseekamy]

28. No. It's called an ATTENTION GETTING DEVICE!! (Did you see that bold print I used?)

Yes, it's a little over the top. And? The pure-bred craze is cruel to animals: it encourages these filthy kennels to crop up around the country by zero-ethics people, and it discourages adopting from overfilled humane society cages.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. Protests are designed to get noticed. PETA does just that.

Good on 'em.

[ShadesOfGrey]

42. Yup, I agree. nt

[tammywammy]

36. Many times.

This is why my donations go to the SPCA and not PETA.

[JVS]

38. PETA's whole modus operendi is to go to far.

[AtomicKitten]

40. PETA while conceptually a great organization jumped the shark long ago. n/t