Letters to the Editor
DurianJoe
Published Letters: 1310 Editor's Choice: 69
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Rotten apples, etc.
[Read the article: Thugs for puppies]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Good message, drinkwater. Any movement, especially a controversial movement like animal rights, is susceptible to smear campaigns whenever extremists engage in violent or unethical behavior. I've been an animal rights activist for 20 years, and I know a lot of people in the movement, and the vast majority are decent human beings who care as much about human rights as they do animal rights. If I saw an animal rights activist physically attack a scientist or someone wearing fur, I'd kick that activist's ass, because he's nothing but a thug.
I'm pro-choice, but I sympathize deeply with pro-life activists. I know how deeply they feel about abortion; they sincerely believe that babies are being murdered. I disagree with them, but for the most part I respect them. However, they too are part of a controversial movement, and their movement is as susceptible to damage because of the actions of a violent few as we are. Pick any social or political movement, especially when it was still a minority movement, and you'll see the same dynamic at work.
The animal rights movement is taking on very, very powerful foes. The meat industry, the fur industry, the hunting industry, the lab animal industry, puppy mills, circuses, and on and on. We are also challenging people who sincerely believe that they are helping people, as many medical researchers do -- as well as sick and ailing people who rely on medical breakthroughs. That is, for me anyway, the most (and only) difficult animal rights issue. Most scientists aren't sadists, and most agree with us that lab animals should be treated as well as possible. We need to work with them to help improve the lot of lab animals, and find replacements for animal tests whenever possible.
As for meat, we are challenging a cultural tradition that dates back to the caveman era. Of course, vegetarianism has been around for thousands of years too, but almost always as a minority movement. By saying it is wrong to eat animals, we are challenging a fundamental aspect of many people, and it is no surprise that for the most part they react defensively, at least at first. I believe that we are correct on the moral argument: since it is possible to live healthy lives as vegetarians, it is wrong to therefore still kill animals for food. Since the number of vegetarians and vegans is slowly but surely growing each year, I think in the end we will prevail. In the meantime, we can compromise with people of goodwill to eliminate the worst of the abuses: veal crates, battery cages, gestation cages, and so on.
All in all, the modern animal rights movement is about 30 years old. That's not a long time for so ambitious a movement, but considering what we've achieved in so short a time, we should be proud of our efforts. The danger, as you point out, is that we have some foes who will stop at nothing to defeat us. For that reason, we must always travel the high ground. SHAC's violent behavior is unacceptable.
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Get real: PETA is not fascistic
[Read the article: Show me your udders!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Love them or hate them, PETA has been extremely effective at promoting animal rights and persuading companies and individuals to end practices which result or perpetuate animal abuse; PETA has also helped get laws passed which protect animals. A commentor on this board accused PETA of being fascistic because, allegedly, they throw red paint on people wearing fur. That is nonsense. First, it is true that some activists, who may or may not be PETA members, vandalize fur coats with red paint and other substances, but that is their own (misguided) choice and not PETA policy. (It also happens far less frequently than alarmists who have you believe). PETA may disrupt fur fashion show events by throwing red paint on fur coats or the models' runways, but that is far more a publicity stunt and hardly like the individual who vandalizes someone's fur coat on the street. The latter is vandalism and arguably thuggery, but it is not fascism. Personally, I've been an animal rights activist for 20 years and have never seen anyone vandalize anyone's fur coat or otherwise assault anyone; conversely, I've seen people from our side get physically attacked by animal rights opponents.
Here is the definition of fascism, taken from the Merriam Webster website;
Main Entry: fas·cism
Pronunciation: 'fa-"shi-z&m also 'fa-"si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control
PETA does not seek to force anyone to adopt its ways. Their goals are to persuade people to change their behavior, and to have laws passed which protect animals. That is not fascism, and calling it such insults the victims of true fascism and waters down the term to meaninglessness.