[Lady Sidhe]

While I agree with the animal rights movement, I believe that PETA is rather like NOW, the Womens' rights movement....they go to extremes, and end up shoving their ideas down people's throats. People don't like that, and such behavior only turns people against them. Zealots of all kinds, whether it be religion, womens' rights, animal rights, ultra-conservatives, ultra-liberals, don't seem to be able to understand that.

And while I personally do not agree with the inhumane living conditions and killing methods used on food animals, do not agree with animal testing (I think we should use death-row inmates, myself), do not agree with raising animals for fur, or sport hunting, I show my opposition by refraining from eating meat (I don't bitch at others for eating meat, though), not hunting or associating with sport hunters, not buying fur or leather, not purchasing products from companies known to test on animals, and contributing to conservation groups. I also work for a no-kill shelter.

If more people would do these kinds of things to show their opposition, as in hitting animal-testers and fur-raisers and inhumane big-business farmers where it hurt, ie, the pocketbook, rather than throwing blood on people and generally acting like overzealous freaks, I think that more people would be amenable to hearing what they had to say, and would be more likely to support what they're doing.

Their aim is a noble one. It is. I believe that animals deserve humane treatment and shouldn't be used as a commodity until they're extinct. It's the nature of the human race to use up its natural resources. And thinking on it, I realize that humans are the only species on the planet that has no niche. Think about it yourself....if we were to go extinct, what balance would be destroyed? Not one. Humans are a disrupting influence on nature's balance because of the irresponsible gluttony of our species. WE as a group don't think, either. We just take. Now before you freak, I'm not one of those anti-human types. I'm just realistic and I've thought about it a lot. My husband and I like to debate, and this is one of our ongoing ones... ANYWAY, off the soapbox...lol

PETA does things like breaking into labs and releasing test animals...like I said, I don't agree with testing anything on animals, but some of these animals may have infectious diseases, and releasing them is dangerous. Groups like PETA just don't think. They're so focused on a single goal that they don't look at all the ramifications of what they do. They don't think long-term. They should take a lesson from the Catholic Church: Get 'em when they're young. They should teach their children respect for animals. They should give talks at elementary schools about animals and show THEM the inhumanity that humans subject animals to, merely because they believe they are entitled to do so.

Remember, someone must speak for the animals. Someone must be the voice of the voiceless.

And, as a side note, were it not for the animal protection group, the SPCA, child abuse would have gone on being ignored longer than it did....If you go to the original SPCA headquarters, you'll see a set of manacles hanging on the wall. They came from the wrist of a six-year-old girl whose parents had chained her to the bed. The authorities refused to intervene in a family matter (remember, children were considered property a hundred or so years ago), so the SPCA intervened, because according to them, the girl was a member of the mammal family, and thus under their jurisdiction. They succeeded in saving this little girl. So not all of the animal rights activists are zealots or nutcases. They truly care about these helpless creatures. And just remember, labs often buy animals from shelters to experiment on...these animals are someone's pet, maybe lost....certainly loved. Would you like to know that your lost pet may be in a lab, having a new perfume sprayed in their eyes as a test animal? Yeah, it's my own personal pitch for people to demand and support no-kill shelters...I work at one, and they keep these animals until homes are found, or owners come to reclaim them. They also offer discount vet services, and spay, neuter, worm and computer-chip all the animals. Anyone who has a pet runs the risk of that pet getting out and running away. Most shelters kill the animals after three days to a week. With a no-kill, you have more of a chance of getting your pet back, and adopting animals is a lot harder...they make sure people have adequate room and safe yards, and make people fill out a form promising to bring the animal back if they decide they don't want it. They even reserve the right to check your income, and to refuse adoptions if they think you're not suitable. Now THAT'S animal activism one can be proud to be a part of.