Progress Now Action

Yes, it's yet another petition I'm asking my readers to sign; though this one is a bit different than the ones you've seen in my blog previously. Instead of asking you to stick it to a corporate evil doer or champion a charity cause, I'm asking you to stick it to an internationally known non-profit - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - by signing a petition to have their non-profit status revoked. (Take a Bite Out of PETA)

Try not to fall over.

I know it seems out of character for me, but hold your outrage for a moment. PETA has been up to some naughty business. They've given money to organizations labeled as domestic terrorists by the FBI and to individuals that conduct criminal acts in the name of advancing animal rights. Recently they've been caught committing fraud in order to obtain adoptable animals from vets and shelters only to euthanize them and toss the bodies in alley ways and dumpsters. These activities, beside being unethical, are in clear violation of tax-exempt standards. Perhaps by revoking their tax-exempt status PETA will get the hint that committing violence against humans and euthanizing healthy animals to 'save' them from brief periods of confinement simply isn't acceptable.



In the spirit of full disclosure I feel that I ought to end with the following rant:

I consider myself an animal welfare advocate. Animals are good, I like animals, and I think they deserve to be treated humanely. I believe that PETA, however, is an extremist organization. They're the squeaky wheel of the movement. In encouraging violance they've become akin to Operation Rescue. In their graphic and inacurate comics, they can be likened to Jack Chick. They're against keeping fish in tanks, silk harvesting, even well funded and humane zoos, classroom pets, bee farms, fishing, all forms of hunting, 'swim with dolphins' programs, and of course the eating of meat - or even the feeding of meat to your clearly carnivorous pets. These are neither mainstream, or even logically supportable, causes.

Yes, I do understand that silkworms are killed to make silk - but PETA's website claims the practice is painful. They're worms, folks. They don't have the neurological capability to feel pain. Same goes for fish and bees, contrary to PETA's claims. Yes, I also understand that some zoo's are horrible - but others do a great deal to maintain healthy and stimulating environments for their animals and contribute to both endangered species repopulation programs and to research. Publishing and promoting false information and leaning on emotional termonology and extreme viewpoints doesn't help the cause, it hurts it. Don't drown the good work you do, and the compassion you triumph, in ridiculous garbage.

Oh, and while you're at it - why don't you stop the practice of euthanizing 80% of the domestic animals you take in. You're not being kind, regardless of the chemical you use to do it, you're depriving healthy, adoptable animals of their lives and exposing yourselves as hypocrites in the process. Yes, damn it, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's more humane to keep a dog in a cement lined cage for a few months until it's adopted into a loving home than to kill it.

Yeesh.