PETA objects to presidential flyswatting

[Valerian]

That's an actual sales strategy.  I studied it in one of my psychology classes in college.  There's a technique called "foot in the door" -- more formally, a type of sequential request.  You ask for something small, and if it's granted, ask for something slightly larger, then larger still.

For example, someone comes to your door and asks you to sign a petition in favor of better health insurance for everyone.  It's a simple request, and a popular idea, so you sign.  Then the person asks if you wouldn't mind putting up a sign in support of the idea in your yard, then asks for a small donation, then asks you to circulate a petition of your own door to door, etc.  Once people start agreeing, they can begin to feel like suddenly saying no would be letting the cause down, even turning against their own ideals.  It has a proven effect.

PETA is doing the opposite of that, which is also a fairly well-documented technique.  (Whether they're doing it deliberately or not, I can't comment.)  In that case, you begin with the most outrageous request possible.

"Excuse me, sir.  I see you have a bumper sticker in support of the giant panda.  Would you donate your entire net worth to save them?"

"Wha-- No!"

"In that case, would you subscribe to our newsletter? Only twenty dollars a year, and all profits go to help the giant panda."

"[sighing in relief] Oh, yes, of course I'll do that."

You do have to be careful with that technique, of course, because it is awfully easy to end up looking crazed.  But if you're talking to people already in favor of your cause, it can be effective, used sparingly.

[Rhapsody]

The problem is, people buy into it with a vengeance.  Now, I love animals.  I spoil my cat absolutely rotten, and I've spoiled every pet I've ever had.  I love my furry friends.  I appreciate nature, and I believe in certain aspects of the conservation movement.  But I also believe in something called the food chain, which nature ingrained in our genetic code.  PETA can't tell me it's wrong to eat a deer when nature itself made deer a prey animal to animals like wolves and wild felines.   And if nature saw fit to give us teeth capable of tearing and digestive systems capable of processing both plant and animal foodstuffs, and the brains to pull ourselves from sometimes-prey and sometimes-hunters to the dominant species on the planet, well... who am I to argue? 

I know there's more to it than just diet, and I disagree with animal abuse.  But I'm not opposed to animal testing.  While I don't necessarily believe that a rabbit should be sprayed in the eyes with hair spray to test the effects, I don't necessarily disbelieve that a chimpanzee (our closest genetic relative, as I recall) shouldn't be used to test the effects and side-effects of life-saving medication for diseases that are killing more of us than we're killing medical animals.

(Directed at no one in particular, just extremist militant vegetarians and vegans.) If you're a vegetarian, awesome.  Good for you.  I hope you made that choice for the right personal reasons.  Don't tell me how evil I am for enjoying bacon and beef, and I won't roll my eyes at your salad and tofu.  Deal?

[Serephino]

I'm in support of fighting against animal abuse too.  Every time I go to the animal shelter I'd bring them all home if I could.  But even if the Humane Society would allow that, my landlord wouldn't.  Because of PETA's antics I'd be more inclined to support the Humane Society or the ASPCA. 

I could never be a vegetarian.  I love meat too much.  I need my protein.  Telling me I have to be a vegetarian would be like telling my oscars they have to start living on algae.  I've watched them devour minnows whole.   

[Soran]

I love animals, our furry friends and it angers the hell out of me when people mistreat them. But PETA go over the top. So for PETA here's a little smiley I found.

[SleepyWei]

(Directed at no one in particular, just extremist militant vegetarians and vegans.) If you're a vegetarian, awesome.  Good for you.  I hope you made that choice for the right personal reasons.  Don't tell me how evil I am for enjoying bacon and beef, and I won't roll my eyes at your salad and tofu.  Deal?

Totally agree on that. Had some busybody vegetarian try and chew my head off today because I was munching on a chicken roll.

[Nimmy]

Yeah, if someone came up to me and said that, I'd probably tell them to please mind their own business since I'm not doing them any direct harm by eating meat. Besides, I wouldn't be a very healthy person if I didn't eat meat because I probably wouldn't be getting enough protein (don't like the texture of tofu at all).

Animals? Awesome. Love them. Want a furry friend but don't have the time or the means to adopt one (so sad :().

[Keala Mensha Khaine]

PETA is a blight on the face of the planet. They are twisted and have even killed animals by themselves because they deemed it the 'humane' thing to do. Oh, and they also hired a spokesperson for a rather stupid amount of money who just happened to firebomb places that PETA didn't like...suprise suprise. They have done a lot of other shady stuff along those lines because some of them believe human lives mean less than that of an animal. So much for equality huh?

I say put their leader in a cage with a hungry bear and a gun...see if she really thinks the same way about animals after that. :) Animals have been eating each other for ages...humans have too, hence why we have the teeth we do. Why should we change things now?

[Milanthe]

Lovely-if it wasn't considered terrorism, I'd suggest everyone from E sending them your favorite pestilence-in-a-jar.

Not sure if that would be possible for me.  For one...  I'd need a really big jar.  (((Anyone else afraid of geese?)))

As for PETA...  How the hell did an organization that STUPID get such a following?

[consortium11]

Not sure if that would be possible for me.  For one...  I'd need a really big jar.  (((Anyone else afraid of geese?)))

As for PETA...  How the hell did an organization that STUPID get such a following?

Because their work with the Silver Spring monkeys was actually somewhat legitimate and got a lot of press... as did several other 80's and early 90's investigations. Off the basis of that they got a lot of celebrity endorsements (who obviously hadn't read the literature) which raised the mainstream profile which combined with a marketing campaign that despite having jumped the shark recently was inventive, original and eye catching meant everyone had heard of them. They play to two powerful groups: the more militant student/activist type who get fired up at the mention of "total animal liberation" and provide a group to do the actual activities and the (horrible stereotype) the naive soccor-mum who cares about the world and animal rights and thinks that any group that all these celebs support can't be that bad, doesn't hear or read about any of the extremisim and gives donations.

[Jude]

Animal liberation people are complete nuts.  I don't know if PETA buys into the full doctrine, but there are people who compare what we do to "food" animals to the holocaust.  Moral equivalency between humans and animals is just so incredibly stupid I don't even know where to begin.

Personally I don't even understand why so many people make such a big deal out of animal rights.  Do I think animal abuse is a "good" thing to have in society?  No.  But I think there are much bigger problems out there for us to tackle.  Worrying about a puppy getting kicked is kinda missing the big picture when there's so many other situations that we're not looking at all thanks to the pointless distraction that is the animal rights movement.

Our current laws are more than enough to keep animals from being abused, it'd be nice if we could move on now to actually limiting human suffering.

[consortium11]

Animal liberation people are complete nuts.  I don't know if PETA buys into the full doctrine, but there are people who compare what we do to "food" animals to the holocaust.  Moral equivalency between humans and animals is just so incredibly stupid I don't even know where to begin.

Personally I don't even understand why so many people make such a big deal out of animal rights.  Do I think animal abuse is a "good" thing to have in society?  No.  But I think there are much bigger problems out there for us to tackle.  Worrying about a puppy getting kicked is kinda missing the big picture when there's so many other situations that we're not looking at all thanks to the pointless distraction that is the animal rights movement.

Our current laws are more than enough to keep animals from being abused, it'd be nice if we could move on now to actually limiting human suffering.

Yeah, that was PETA...

[Milanthe]

You know...  I'd kinda like to see PETA's reaction to live sushi.  Hehehe...  *Imagines their heads blowing up*

[Oniya]

*prefers meat-food to be dead before consumption.  Vore is for the EX forum.*   :-X

Live sushi - are people re-living their wild college days of swallowing goldfish?

[Sel Nar]

All I can say about PETA is that they're still not as bad as the ALF or ELF, which have been confirmed as Domestic Terrorist organizations.

^*See previous rant* Gist of it is that those two groups are the type that would Firebomb an apartment complex to save a kitten that had tripped and snagged its collar on something.

[Keala Mensha Khaine]

All I can say about PETA is that they're still not as bad as the ALF or ELF, which have been confirmed as Domestic Terrorist organizations.

^*See previous rant* Gist of it is that those two groups are the type that would Firebomb an apartment complex to save a kitten that had tripped and snagged its collar on something.

And PETA secretly supports these types of organizations through donations and such to people who are supporters or suspected members and such. Can just check PETA's records since they are open to the public.

[Milanthe]

*prefers meat-food to be dead before consumption.  Vore is for the EX forum.*   :-X

Live sushi - are people re-living their wild college days of swallowing goldfish?

lol, no.  People in japan and in at least one restaurant in New York (dunno about any other US city or other countries yet) have been taking larger fish (large tuna, salmon, lobster, etc), only cutting them up enough for people to grab a bite, and then serving them while still wiggling.  I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't curious just because I'll try anything once.

[Mnemaxa]

I just read a news article from AP where PETA activits shot and killed 19 people at a research facility to rescue one rabbit.  Which, when let free, was immediately killed and eaten by a fix. 

It could have been a well done joke article....

....but i have doubts.

[Sel Nar]

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/heroic_peta_commandos_kill_49_save?utm_source=most_pop_dugg

You mean this article?

Satire it May be, but far from potential truth, it is not.

[Jude]

Either way, it's a good point.  PETA doesn't think we should be killing animals, they essentially elevate animals to human status in saying that their lives have value similar to our own.  But animals kill each other.  So we shouldn't kill animals, but it's OK for the OTHER animals to kill them.  Really they believe humans to have fewer rights and more responsibilities than the rest of the animal kingdom.

I'm OK with the more responsibilities thing, I'm not gonna get pissed at one animal for abusing another.  But it's kinda obvious that humans should have more rights than an animal too.  It's sorta why we make the distinction between human and animal at all.

[AKunoichi]

Normal human reaction to seeing the president kill a fly with his bare hands.
"Woah BAD-ASS! I wish I could do that."

Peta reaction
"OH NO HE KILLED A FLY! MURDERER!"

[Rhapsody]

Normal human reaction to seeing the president kill a fly with his bare hands.
"Woah BAD-ASS! I wish I could do that."

Peta reaction
"OH NO HE KILLED A FLY! MURDERER!"

Total geek reaction:
"The Force is strong in this one."

( ^-- was actually my reaction )