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PETA Reliable?
Hi there. Lately I've been trying to educate myself on animal rights and animal abuse. In general, I think product testing on animals is wrong among other things the PETA site brings up. I've heard that PETA can be pretty radicle though, and I'm trying to get the facts. I'm wondering if PETA might be trying to make a big impact by showing videos on their website of select, severe situations of animal abuse, and not what may really be going on, on an ordinary basis. I hope that makes sense.. It's confusing because I hear different things about the organization being a little koo koo sometimes.
They'll show something EXTREMELY horrible happening to an animal and I'll be shocked, but because of the things I've heard I'm basically wondering if they're just trying to sort of shock viewers into having a certain opinion.
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When taking evidence from a source produced by an organisation like PETA you do have to question its reliability, especially because they may have a biased opinion.
There is some really tragic stuff that happens to animals but its not like every animal on the planet is being treated that way.
Videos, pictures etc of animals in devastating circumstances is effective on people as it can persuade the viewers of the PETA website to join which is the purpose of alot of media produced by certain organisations but it also shows what happens to some animals in the world and that theres nothing wrong with helping out animals in need.
Whether to decide if PETA is reliable or not you have to be open to the ideas and opinions they offer, but not so naive. If you approach one of their ideas don't jump to the conclusion it may be correct, research their ideas and question them, then give ur own opinion.
The reliability of PETA depends on what kind of evidence they have to back up their perspectives and what you believe.
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No, PETA is no reliable. They behave hypocritically, support immoral and illegal actions, and are generally dangerous extremists.
PETA has been accused in court, and convicted, of lying in several of their advertising campaigns and ordered to cease and desist them. The famously told thousands of school children that milk was unhealthy and that it hurt cows, until the government shut that down for being designed to scare children, and for being factually unsupported. The videos they show of animal testing are sometimes current and have certainly lead to some convictions against testing facilities, but they have also been found in court to be edited in misleading ways, and often interpreted inaccurately (saying things like this monkey is covered in acid… when there is no evidence at all and it’s likely just a bit of water…)
They also love to just shove those videos up on any of their webpages, regardless if those images are relevant to the particular abuse on that page. They want to shock you, and hope you won’t ask serious questions about where the images came from.
PETA supports organizations that demonize the Human Society for the practice of euthanizing animals. However, during 2005, PETA put to death over 90 percent of the animals it collected from members of the public. (The Human Society is estimated to euthanize a bit less then 60% of the animals it takes in.)
PETA spends very little of its money or time actually helping and supporting animals. They are primarily a lobbyist group and create advertising programs and fund other organizations... If you want your money or time to go directly to helping animals, go the Human Society or a local animal rescue.
PETA has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to animal-rights activists who proven criminals. This includes domestic terrorists like the North American Earth Liberation (responsible for bombings and issuing death threats) and the Animal Liberation Front. Campaign coordinator Bruce Friedrich told an animal rights convention in 2001 that “blowing stuff up and smashing windows” is “a great way to bring about animal liberation.”
PETA has created some clever marketing campaigns, but also some that are just plain wrong. The "Are Animals the New Slaves?" marketing ploy featured a display in which images of oppressed minorities, including black slaves, Indians, child laborers, and women, were juxtaposed with those of elephants and slaughtered cows. Probably the most famous PETA fuckup however was the the 2003 Holocaust on your Plate campaign where they took pictures of the Holocaust and images of factory farming. Concentration camp inmates in were shown next to photographs of caged chickens… People were justifiably offended by this, but PETA claims that the life of a single chicken has as much value as the life of person and that there is no moral difference between the Holocaust, and eating meat.
According to PETA, any animal’s life has as much value as any human being. A vice president was once quoted as saying if there was a sinking boat with a dog and a baby on it, he’d save the dog… and that is just a bit off. It’s a nice and good idea that animal’s lives are very valuable, and PETA has certainly managed a bit of good in the world, but if that idea leads you to support violence against your fellow human beings, it ought to be reconsidered.
So no, PETA isn’t a reliable organization, and you shouldn’t give them your money or time.
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