Yes, I know this guys actions are not neat and the whole thing is very disturbing. But I thought the whole premise of PETA being involved in this would spark some interesting discussion.
The question I pose is this... Is there, in some peoples minds, a correlation between eating meat and this guys horrible actions?
Link (Photo: Jaime R. Carrero)
I personally think that enslaving animals and eating them when there is no need to do so is wrong and vile. Yet I think PETA is one of the most incompetent groups I have ever seen. This is just another of their bad choices. They continually do a disservice to their very cause with bullshit like this. It's a shame.
I'm passionate about preventing cruelty to animals. It's not right for a human to impose needless harm or neglect upon an animal who often has no choice about their circumstances. I help my mother with her rescue organization so I've seen a fair amount of horrible stuff done to animals. It enrages me and I've confronted the people responsible for it, barely able to keep myself in check from physically lashing out in my own anger. No one who volunteers for my mom likes PETA, and a lot of other true animal lovers do not like PETA.
But .... feeding a cannibal a vegetarian diet? I don't think it would make a difference in helping this alleged cannibal in curbing his cravings. Maybe it's just supposed to make us feel better. Besides, if PETA was serious about this whole "needless killing" line of bullshit, then why don't they ask that all murderers have a sentence of mandatory vegetarianism?
While this kind of publicity stunt can be a valuable recruiting tool for a cult, the main audience for it isn't the public, it's their own members.
Personally I think they should give him a vegetarian diet if he requests it, but forcing one on him, especially before trial and without medical necessity should be illegal if it isn't already -- unless that's the only diet the jail uses.
If this guy really likes meat, then a vegetarian diet might be a suitable punishment (along with keeping him far away from the rest of society, of course).
"Probably everything we do is a publicity stunt...We are not here to gather members, to please, to placate, to make friends. We're here to hold
the radical line."
Ingrid Newkirk - Founder, PETA
USA Today, September 3, 1991
Elf is a terrorist organization.
Therefore, in my mind at least, PETA is a terrorist organization.
:-)
Most humans spend a lot of time pretending they are different from other animals in a way that gives them the innate right to kill, enslave, and otherwise abuse the non-humans. It isn't so. It was never so. It is just an act of cowardice.
Most Americans get completely skwiked if you offer them organ meat (mmmmm, liver); never mind that a good deal of the world considers organs perfectly viable food.
So what you're saying is that Lions, Crocodiles and other predatory animals (sorry innocent non-humans) are cowards too?
Have you ever even visited a zoo before or seen a documentary and watched the unnatural, cowardly, abuse of wilderbeast and gazelles at the paws of predators?
I would argue strongly that eating meat is natural- however as humans we do have an advantage over most of our non-human friends... and of course as spiritual beings we have the capacity to be unnecessarily cruel.
I don't understand my someone would want to be a cannibal, anyhow. I'd imagine humans were so full of toxic crap (perservatives, etc) due to our died that'd we'd taste horrible. Well... vegans might infact be 'tasty' if they grew all their own stuff and it was organic, etc.. but i'd rather not find out.
Milk-fed, swaddled to restrict movement, kept in a cage maybe.
Mmmmmmmm...soylent green....
Do us a favor, go to a country where you can experience real hunger. Where not even water is an option. When you don't have your precious organically grown microwave ready vegan meals from Whole Foods and I'm sure you'll be changing your tune.
Most people do not spend their time pretending to be better or different then other animals so as to justify our consumption of them. The only people doing that are the vegans who act holier-than-thou thrusting every animal onto a pedestal. They love to shove their personal life choice down the rest of the world's throat. It's a justification for their inability to accept the natural world as it is.
Nature is not a big happy drum circle. A tiger isn't going to lick your hand and sing you a song because you set it free, it's far more likely to maul you. A bear isn't going to cuddle a salmon and enjoy a big bowl of tofu just because you can't understand that in nature - some animals eat other animals.
big plate o' sarcasm, anyone?
That has to be the best written comment about any PETA subject ever. Thank you! :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy_of_the_Consequent
one of the only things good said here was by ben.
wake up beeotchs, we are all one. it is way worse to eat a defenseless animal than to eat a human. we're killing and eating our brothers and sisters, and will never reach the next stage of evolution untill we stop.
animal liberation!!!