PETA has named 5 Orca Whales as Plantiffs in a lawsuit... .. Yes, they really are THAT stupid

[JezMM]

What's sad is this is all they've got though. If they don't completely blow everything out of proportion and make a spectacle of themselves, no-one cares.

[Jeffhog]

It's amazing the lengths PETA goes to to get everyones attention simply because they can't find a bullhorn loud enough to be heard by everyone in a ten thousand mile radius. Protesting mistreatment of animals is one thing, but PETA is to animal rights activism what SOPA supporters are to preventing piracy.

I am, however, in favor of their get-hot-celebrities-to-post-nude-on-posters campaign. THAT's the kind of attention they should be aiming for.

Paraphrasing what Seth Myers once said on Saturday Night Live:

Even though the post-hote-naked-chicks-with-dead-animal-stuff is supposed to turn people off, I'm pretty sure there's at least one guy somewhere who's shouting: FINALLY!!!

[Stacy]

Watch this great piss take on the atittude of some Animal Rights Activists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coIiovtE_mQ

[No more]

<.< >.>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OTREo29yQI

Just saying. No in all matter of seriousness, that is a daft idea.

You may fire when ready

Edited February 8, 2012 by iVYRAVE

[Diogenes]

What's sad is this is all they've got though. If they don't completely blow everything out of proportion and make a spectacle of themselves, no-one cares.

When they do something completely ridiculous, I stop caring.

[No more]

Funny, because Sonic is the very definition of PeTA.

[JezMM]

When they do something completely ridiculous, I stop caring.

[Diogenes]

Surely the fact that you even entered this topic is proof that's untrue?

Let me clarify: I do not give two shits about these whales. I do however enjoy laughing at stupid people.

[Jetronic]

I think this might be just as bad, remember when PETA used KKK imagery to protest a dog show?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29104505

They truly are attention whores.

[SonicHOG]

Really? Making whales plantiffs?

Now, I have no problems with animal rights (especially when many of my friends support them), but I feel PETA does some crazy stuff. I know it's to get attention and all, but still....

Personally, I can't wait for protesters to call out "Sue the whales! Sue the whales!"

[Solkia]

I think PETA is like Sonic in ShTH.

They both never shut the fuck up.

[JezMM]

What do you guys want exactly? How is shutting up a good tactic for a protest group who want to get their message out? =\

Kinda saddens me as well that we only recently have had a post that actually highlights their own views on animal rights, albeit only slightly.

Please tell me you guys aren't all really that apathetic about animal rights? I mean there's only ever nothing but bashing of PETA's style and publicity choices, no-one seems to say anything about what they think of their actual views. I only partly agree with their message (VERY partly), but I still find it weird that I'm the only one here defending that small part of what they are.

EDIT: Just to clarify my opinion that I can't believe no-one else here seems to agree with.

PETA are dumb and attention seeking with their methods of spreading the word, and they have unrealistic views on how to solve these problems (i.e. you can't just set free whales who are now comfortable in captivity).

HOWEVER I do think their heart is in the right place - as humans we have no right to capture animals for our own entertainment in the first place, and really it should be phased out.

Edited February 9, 2012 by JezMM

[Solkia]

What do you guys want exactly? How is shutting up a good tactic for a protest group who want to get their message out? =\

What message? They haven't served a purpose for quite a while now.

[SuperStingray]

My biggest problem with PETA's approach is that they say that animals deserve the same rights as humans yet seem to imply animals deserve more through their actions. They'd throw any human who so much as eats a piece of meat under a bridge, yet if one get's mutilated to death by a bear I doubt any of them would be clamouring for it to get capital punishment.

I know whales aren't literally going to be taking the stand (at least I hope not), PETA's going to be doing the talking for them but are merely doing this as a gesture to show that whales have as much a right to defend themselves as we do. And you know, I agree. To the extent that the defense in question is physical. After all, they have a physical form and observable consciousness just as we do, but do you know something we don't share? A legal system. And a social structure complex enough to merit it. Have you ever seen a whale courtroom? And if even not that, how many whales are chastised or punished by others for attacking other whales? Even if these whales are the very smartest their species has to offer, they can't understand or at least externalize their understanding of the concept of justice to at least the same degree as humans, so why should we give them a position in it? I realize there are humans in the same scenario; very young children or disabled who are unable to effectively communicate, but their brains are still evolved enough to understand the concept of justice, even if they don't demonstrate or believe in it themselves and therefore entitled to a proxy voice, whether they themself have consented to it or have a guardian to speak on their behalf. If whales want a voice in our justice system, they can either evolve language and a sufficiently complex social structure or get Aquaman to be their lawyer. I know that sounds cold, but so's Darwinism.

[JezMM]

What message? They haven't served a purpose for quite a while now.

[Solkia]

PETA just pisses me off. Ever since I saw that old interview where they admit they can't afford to take care of the thousands of animals they steal from laboratories rescue, and just put most of them down, just hearing the name engulfs me with rage.

I hate it, because I can't do anything about it. They've gone far beyond useless, and need to be shut down. All they are now are mediawhores.

[Stacy]

PETA just pisses me off. Ever since I saw that old interview where they admit they can't afford to take care of the thousands of animals they steal from laboratories rescue, and just put most of them down, just hearing the name engulfs me with rage.

I hate it, because I can't do anything about it. They've gone far beyond useless, and need to be shut down. All they are now are mediawhores.

*Eats Steak while reading this topic*

Yeah if that the case then animals are more in danger from then than from the places they steal, how sad and ironic.

[Tornado]

What do you guys want exactly? How is shutting up a good tactic for a protest group who want to get their message out? =\

PETA, in the past 10 years, have done more damage to animal rights campaigns with their idiotic and dickish grandstanding than they have done good; and that's not even getting into the darker shit they've pulled like what Solkia said.

I want PETA to shut the fuck up because I do care about animal rights and they are making those that don't seem like the rational and intelligent ones.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Gilda

[JezMM]

(Edit, somehow didn't see the above two posts).

PETA has, in the past 10 years, have done more damage to animal rights campaigns than they have done good. I want PETA to shut the fuck up because I do care about animal rights and they are making those that don't seem like the rational and intelligent ones.

Fair enough, and I can agree with that. It's a real shame that the more sensible groups out there get no media attention. That's sort of why I try to cling on to what good I CAN find in PETA, because at least they get heard.

Hunting is one of the most conscious and involved methods of environmental conservation on the planet. Even hunting for sport; you're cultivating the herd that would otherwise overpopulate and suffer far worse deaths at the hands of disease, starvation, and road accidents. Hunting for meat is far more humane than eating meat from an animal who spent its life on a concrete floor with a heart condition brought about by growth hormones. The fact that PeTA opposes it demonstrates one of its many core problems: they think with their hearts, not their heads.

Ehh, sorry I've never cared for this reasoning. Whatever good can come out of hunting I find it hard to believe people grab their guns and head out saying "man I don't feel like hunting today but someone's gotta keep them deer populations in check!" I can at least agree hunting for meat is more humane than the meat industry for sure, though of course it still doesn't really win me over because we don't need to eat meat at all. I don't wanna get all preachy though, so I'll meat you halfway.

PETA just pisses me off. Ever since I saw that old interview where they admit they can't afford to take care of the thousands of animals they steal from laboratories rescue, and just put most of them down, just hearing the name engulfs me with rage.

I hate it, because I can't do anything about it. They've gone far beyond useless, and need to be shut down. All they are now are mediawhores.

Now this is one of the things PETA have done which even I find completely inexcusable and unforgivable, so I'll meet you on that one. Utterly disgraceful.

Edited February 9, 2012 by JezMM

[Stacy]

though of course it still doesn't really win me over because we don't need to eat meat at all. I don't wanna get all preachy though, so I'll meat you halfway.

[Tornado]

What because were not animals ourselves, were some higher beings?

Edited February 9, 2012 by Gilda

[Red Cap]

What because were not animals ourselves, were some higher beings?

Edited February 9, 2012 by Red Cap-Blue Spikes

[Stacy]

No no no. Don't turn this topic into that.

[Mollfie]

@BW: Humans are opportunistic omnivores. We do not need to eat meat but we can, and do. We are made to adapt and survive so that's why we can eat both, it benefited humans in the past to be able to eat meat and plants but in our modern, western, society there's very little reason to really. I don't really want to go down this road again so if anyone wants to chat about it just PM or something so we're not clogging up the thread with a topic we've discussed lots of times before.

Anyway!

I think people are getting confused between Animal Welfare and Animal Rights. They are two very different views. PETA are Animal Rights activists.

To give you an idea Animal Rights supports generally believe:

Using animals for anything is morally wrong. We should not use animals to benefit ourselves. We should not over-rule an animals interests with our own. We should not inflict pain or death on animals. We should always treat animals humanely and eliminate man-made causes of animal suffering.

Animal Rights supporters generally will not support the act of eating or using any animal products (meat, eggs, milk, wool, honey etc) and will not support things such as zoos. Some also don't support the notion of keeping pets, but I've only met a couple of people who thought like that.

Animal Welfare supporters think more along these lines:

There is nothing morally wrong with using animals. We can use animals to benefit ourselves. Our interests are more important than animals interests. We shouldn't cause unnecessary pain or death to animals. We should treat animals as humanely as convenient to us.

Animal Welfare supporters focus on welfare, not rights. They're usually the ones saying it's cool to use animals/eat them/whatever as long as they've had a nice life and die in as humanely a way as possible.

Animal Rights is basically the view that we should treat animals how we would want to be treated. It's pretty simple really.

Obviously not everyone fits into two categories and many people will straddle the line so don't take it too seriously. It's just to give people the gist of things.

Yeah, PETA are nutjobs but their core values (that animals should be treated fairly) are not all that crazy really. I do wonder what happened to them along the way though to get them to this point where most people think they're ridiculous. It frustrates me because it draws attention away from the key issue here: the animals.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Mollfie

[Stacy]

@BW: Humans are opportunistic omnivores. We do not need to eat meat but we can, and do. We are made to adapt and survive so that's why we can eat both, it benefited humans in the past to be able to eat meat and plants but in our modern, western, society there's very little reason to really. I don't really want to go down this road again so if anyone wants to chat about it just PM or something so we're not clogging up the thread with a topic we've discussed lots of times before.

Anyway!

I think people are getting confused between Animal Welfare and Animal Rights. They are two very different views. PETA are Animal Rights activists.

To give you an idea Animal Rights supports generally believe:

Using animals for anything is morally wrong. We should not use animals to benefit ourselves. We should not over-rule an animals interests with our own. We should not inflict pain or death on animals. We should always treat animals humanely and eliminate man-made causes of animal suffering.

Animal Rights supporters generally will not support the act of eating or using any animal products (meat, eggs, milk, wool, honey etc) and will not support things such as zoos. Some also don't support the notion of keeping pets, but I've only met a couple of people who thought like that.

Animal Welfare supporters think more along these lines:

There is nothing morally wrong with using animals. We can use animals to benefit ourselves. Our interests are more important than animals interests. We shouldn't cause unnecessary pain or death to animals. We should treat animals as humanely as convenient to us.

Animal Welfare supporters focus on welfare, not rights. They're usually the ones saying it's cool to use animals/eat them/whatever as long as they've had a nice life and die in as humanely a way as possible.

Animal Rights is basically the view that we should treat animals how we would want to be treated. It's pretty simple really.

Obviously not everyone fits into two categories and many people will straddle the line so don't take it to seriously. It's just to give people the gist of things.

Yeah, PETA are nutjobs but their core values are not all that crazy really. I do wonder what happened to them along the way though to get them to this point where most people think they're ridiculous. It frustrates me because it draws attention away from the key issue here: the animals.