there is no question in my mind that PETA is out of control. this shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody who has followed the history of PETA(people for the ethical treatment of animals) and the ways that they choose to spread their message to the rest of us. it’s difficult for me to separate the message from the messenger with this organization. what may have started out as a noble cause and a legitimate opposing viewpoint has become the backdrop for a long series of publicity stunts by PETA.

here’s their latest gimmick opposing fishing: comic books for kids that accuse their dads of being hooked on killing! (pdf)

that’s over the top in my book. it’s messed up. they ruin whatever legitimacy their message may have by doing stuff like this. there’s nothing wrong with encouraging kids to eat vegetables or find healthier alternatives to the junk food. we all would be better off if we did this. however, PETA’s role has gone beyond mere advocacy and has ventured into indoctrination. it should be up to the parents what their kids eat. PETA has no authority to regulate that, or to use comic books to turn the kids against their parents. it’s a cheap trick, and the schools should be smart enough to insist that PETA would be more responsible when it comes to the children in their care.

flopping aces weighs in with more specific details and a similar view.
more common-sense opinion here from the pensacola news journal : PETA’s protest is patently pointless.
the daily collegian gets it absolutely right: PETA protests crosses the boundary

here are some previous stupid human tricks by PETA:

PETA workers face 25 felony counts in North Carolina–hypocrisy, much?

PETA Creams Vogue Editor–editor anna wintour gets a tofu pie in the face. nice. but there are better reasons to do this…like the fact that there is a big fat ad on every other page in vogue.

PETA asks Attorney General to charge LSU with animal abandonment in Katrina aftermath–there’s an example of a not-so-shocking lack of perspective.

PETA has serious credibility problems. there’s no other way to spin that. there’s more than enough evidence that their message is distorted by the method of delivery. google “peta protests” and you will have the evidence of this. if animal-rights activists want to be taken seriously, they can’t resort to these kinds of publicity stunts. it only makes them subject to ridicule and parody, and distracts from any level of serious discussion on the subject. oh yeah, and it would also help if PETA practiced what it preached.