PETA needs to go

Rick Bruner wrote a blog post recently entitled, "Uh, Let's Not Forget Domestic Terrorism". I agree. Let's not forget domestic terrorism. And when we refer to "domestic terrorism," one of the first groups that comes to mind, other than militia groups in Montana, is PETA. (No link. Why give them any more publicity than they've already received?) If information posted to The Center for Consumer Freedom is to be believed, then PETA has been supporting groups that commit acts of terrorism right here in the U.S. This begs the question...Why are they not classified as a terrorist organization?

Perhaps PETA should be classified as such. If the facts posted on this page are true, then it's obvious that high-ranking members of PETA clearly advocate violence as a means to achieving their goals.

To me, there are so many reasons to hate PETA. Their "win at all costs" approach has even alienated many of their supporters. They directly target children with their propaganda campaigns, calling on kids to make adult decisions about their diets. They prop up quasi-medical groups to make false claims, most recently about Dr. Atkins of the Atkins diet fame. They place ads comparing the slaughter of chickens to the slaughter of human beings during the Holocaust. I could go on and on...

All of this comes from a simple misunderstanding of the spirit behind U.S. animal cruelty laws. We don't have animal cruelty laws for the exclusive purpose of protecting animals. We have them because animal cruelty for its own sake is deviant behavior that is disrespectful of life. When that creepy guy in your neighborhood sticks an M-80 up a stray cat's butt and lights it, he gets hauled in on an animal cruelty charge not because the cat has a right to life, but because he acted on his disregard for life in general. In short, animals don't have rights per se, but killing them for the pleasure of killing them is wrong, so our society acts to curb such behavior.

So what should we do when confronted with the notion of a nonprofit corporation that funds groups that advocate violence against human beings (and only narrowly avoids advocating violence directly, itself)? We should put a stop to that violence and call for accountability for those supporting it.

I'd like to get the U.S. federal government to consider PETA a terrorist organization. But failing that, I'd like to get their tax-exempt status revoked. If you feel the same way, sign this petition over at ConsumerFreedom.com.