imagine being passionate about a particular issue, and then going undercover to record abuses. hats off to the guy who shot this undercover footage.

oh, and if you still think your turkey comes from some happy farm somewhere... think again.

http://www.goveg.com/feat...erball.asp

I don't think they're stupid in general. But roaches should not even register on their radar. That makes them look ridiculous

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

It's the gratuitiosness of the roaches thing that is annoying... I mean, it isn't like these roaches are some life saving food... They don't even taste good (I'm guessing...) So what's the purpose of eating them? What sense does it make?
[Edited 9/25/06 16:08pm]

coolcat said:

the fuzzy cute ones are not the only ones we should worry about.
[Edited 9/25/06 16:11pm]

I don't think they're just stupid, by any means. But I do think they are misguided in their approach. People who become fanatical about anything tend to lose sight of the big picture.

Is it any surprise that these abusers have southern accents? That video was horrifying, really. This nation is never going to go vegan but that does not mean that animals need to be abused in the process. I can't remember her name but NPR had an interview with an autistic woman who's job is going to slaughterhouses and making them more humane for the animals. That should be REQUIRED but instead we reward sick psychopathic men who need to kill creatures and get off on abusing them in the process.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

i have to admit, i have not been too involved in animal rights lately, in view of the human atrocities going on. but one does not negate the other, imho.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I'm a straight out insect hater so I have no sympathy for any of them. Well ladybugs I'd be upset about but nearly every other insect is overpopulated anyway.

we were taught in oneof our courses that PetA is technically considered a terrorist organization. I don't think that I would go that far but I do think that they could go about things differently.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I admit... Roaches bring out the worst in me. They creep me out.

coolcat said:

And I wouldn't go so far as to invent some reason to kill them but I can't say I'd really be at all that sad to see them slaughtered in any situation

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

it's a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg thing (pun not intended) - cheap labor in the South has a lot to do with the fact that so many processing plants are down here.

i do hate it when people use a dislike for PETA as an organization as a reason to justify the belittlement of animal welfare issues. "PETA SUCKS! SO I'M GONNA EAT A STEAK!"

no. you're eating a steak because you like steak. act like you have some damn sense.

i wish such issues could be discussed on their own merits and people could consider compassion to all living things without having to drag the media circus that is PETA into the subject. it's not that difficult to just make a choice now and then that benefits other living things. it's impossible to live a 100% cruelty-free life in this day and age, i am convinced of that. but that's no excuse not to do what little you can every day, even if it means ordering three hamburgers for dinner instead of four.

it's frustrating - i think PETA's methods are full of crap too, but the root of what they're fighting for is something i agree with, and have for most of my life. i wish there were an equally powerful organization out there that took a more pragmatic, spiritual, rational approach to advocating for animal welfare. i really do.

JasmineFire said:

a lot of the methods have to do with what gets news coverage nowadays. naked women still draw attention...

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I don't mean the big picture as far as human atrocities, though I do think that people have limited energy to put towards causes, and I can understand when they choose to direct that energy wherever their individual passions are. For me, that has generally been animals, 'cause of their helplessness, but these days, I don't expect anybody else to feel me on that.

What I mean is that their philosophy seems to be that any press/attention is a good thing, because it draws attention to the horrors going on in the process of making animal products. I'm really not sure that's true. I think they've mainly made people who care about animal rights look like wackos, and made a bunch of people not want to go there.

Anx said:

the humane society has little popular impact, but i'm glad that there are some groups doing legislative work, some doing welfare and rescue work, and some putting (voluntarily) naked women out on the street to get attention.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

fair enough but there are a lot of other groups doing work that's more "palatable" to some people.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

yeah, there are groups doing good work without trying to be sensationalist - the ASPCA gets a lot of respect from me, and i've given them a fair amount of money in the past.

Anx said:

it's all good!

IrresistibleB1tch said:

There are, and I'm glad. But I think PETA hurts us all. . . they've made an embarassment out of the concept of animal rights. I appreciate some of their work, but I think it's overshadowed by the damage they do.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

i'm not so sure about that. while they may have gotten some bad press, their work has put a lot of corporations under pressure, and has resulted in many changes over the years.

Anx said:

ASPCA =

IrresistibleB1tch said:

particularly from those who advocate hunting.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

and those who are getting ready for their Thanksgiving "feast"...

IrresistibleB1tch said:

It's more than a little bad press. They're the most prominent face of the animal rights movement, and most people have an extremely bad impression of them.

But, I know I'm not going to change your mind -- I used to make the same arguments for them -- and I don't really care 'cause we're on the same side.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I love thanksgiving dinner!! Why are you trying to guilt me?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I love it too. I can't wait for my Tofurky.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

i would appreciate it if PETA didn't use polarizing tactics in their campaigns. instead of saying "meat is for dummies" or "fur is dead", use that visibility to offer alternatives - hold events where people are invited to try veggie meals and show the TONS of dishes that people already eat every day that don't include meat. show the POSITIVES of an ethical lifestyle instead of bashing people over the head with the negatives...not that we should ignore the realities of something like factory farming, but there's a user-friendly side to making cruelty-free choices and i think PETA would rather point fingers than invite people into a widening circle. and that's sad to me.

HereToRockYourWorld said: