Gold Medal Software 3/Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso/bbsutils/sun9403.arj/FEA1

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Animal Rights and Wrongs
Copyright (c) 1992, Kathy Kemper
All rights reserved



                    ANIMAL RIGHTS AND WRONGS

                         by Kathy Kemper


     Most thinking people simply dismiss animal rights activists.
The agendas and activities sponsored by the various organizations
seem too radical to ever invade a secure world.  Don't fall into
the trap; animal rights has become THE civil rights issue of the
1990s.  The divide con conquer techniques of the rights
organizations coupled with state of the art public relations has
greatly disguised the threat that they propose.

     In all there are at least 44 (and possibly quite a few more)
animal and habitat protection groups.  The combined donations that
these groups accrue are estimated at $350 million per year.
Compensation paid the leaders of these organizations averages
$78,702 annually.

     The largest and most widely publicized of the animal rights
groups is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).  PETA
was founded in 1980, claims 325,000 members, has a staff of 108 and
a $9.2 million annual budget (figures from 1991).

     It should be reported that PETA is not on the Better Business
Bureau's approved charity list.  Among those who also fail to meet
the BBB minimum charity standards are:  The American Society to
Prevent Cruelty to Animals; Animal Rights Mobilization; Defenders
of Wildlife; In Defense of Animals; and the World Wildlife Fund.
In all, 80% of the "rights" organizations fail the BBB guidelines
which require that 50% of funds raised go directly to the
charitable cause.  PETA gives less than 15%

     It is hard to believe that all of the members of the "rights"
organizations believe in the full agenda they are contributing to.
In fact, if these groups were up front with their convictions, few
would take them seriously.  It is much more likely that one
receives a pamphlet in the mail depicting the tortures of animals
in laboratories or puppy mill conditions and believe they are
contributing their $10, $15, or $20 to that cause only.  The public
relations people that devise these brochures are truly artists.

     Interestingly enough, modern technology has reached the point
where the use of laboratory animals in research and education has
begun to decline.  Into this framework steps PETA who is fighting
hard to eliminate that which is already declining.  No doubt they
will attribute the further decline in such research to their
activities.

     Animal right's greatest argument against using laboratory
animals is that there is little direct application between animal
and human physiology.  Apparently these are the people who think
vaccines for polio, tetanus, diphtheria, scarlet fever, rubella,
and measles are meaningless.  Also that insulin for diabetes,
radiation and chemotherapy for cancer, antibiotics against
infection, and treatments for epilepsy should never have been
developed.  Some have even suggested, that instead of using animals
as testers, we should experiment on criminals, vagrants and
braindead humans.

     Accordingly PETA's position on animal research has elicited
the following quotations attributable to them.  Even if animal
tests produced a cure for AIDS, "We'd be against it." (Vogue,
September 1989). And, medical research is "immoral even if it's
essential." (Washington Post, May 1989).  Even, "If my father had
a heart attack, it would give me no solace at all to know his
treatment was first tried on a dog." (Washington Post, May 1989).
Finally, "Even painless research is fascism supremacism."
(Washington Magazine, August 1986).  Fascism is something the group
is familiar with.

     PETA's best money making gimmicks are the posters and tapes
that purport animal cruelty.  One of the many cases of animal
cruelty that PETA publicized involved animal trainer Bobby
Berosini.  Mr. Berosini was able to prove in court (with the help
of former PETA director Katy McCabe) that the tape which showed
animal abuse was faked by PETA.  The reported abuse never happened.
He won a $4.5 million judgement against the organization.

     It is also apparent that PETA sets up a double standard for
its own actions.  Recently PEOPLES'S AGENDA reported that PETA
secretly killed over 30 animals at their sanctuary.  These included
roosters that were confiscated from fighting areas and rabbits that
were freed from school classrooms.  PETA claimed their budget could
not afford to keep them alive.

     There is also reason to suspect fraud in the use of donations
to PETA.  Rather than helping animals, at least some of this money
has been sent into Mexico by PETA chairperson Alex Pacheco.  This
is from a sworn deposition of a former PETA accountant.

     When analyzed, the agendas for the various organizations is
not pro-animal, but rather anti-human.  All of the rhetoric appears
to be a smokescreen for the hidden agendas of wealth and political
power.

     Most of the organizations will divulge their complete agenda
upon written request.  Each association, of course, has a slightly
different focus; however, the magazine ANIMAL AGENDA outlined the
major components of each in 1987.

     Animal rights activists wish to:

     1.   Abolish all animal research by legislation.  This implies
          that vaccines, organ transplants, AIDS, cancer, and
          Alzheimer's research will be impaired or ended.

     2.   Outlaw the use of animals for cosmetic testing, classroom
          demonstrations and weapons development.

     3.   Provide vegetarian means at all public institutions.

     4.   Eliminate all animal agriculture, including fur ranching.
          This means the loss of poultry farms, beef and hog
          ranches, the lamb, sheep and dairy industry, etc.  In
          turn, this would eliminate slaughter houses, feed lots,
          and ultimately the leather industry, the wool industry--
          shoes, coats, belts and clothes.
     5.   Outlaw herbicides, pesticides and predator control.
     6.   Prohibit hunting, trapping, and fishing.
     7.   End international trade in wildlife goods.
     8.   Stop the breeding of companion animals.  This would close
          pet supply companies, kennels, grooming businesses,
          petfood companies and veterinarians.  It would also
          eliminate the highly beneficial service animals such as
          seeing eye dogs.
     9.   End the use of animals in entertainment and sports.  No
          more circuses, aquariums, or rodeos.

     Many items on this agenda are already being legislated.  The
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has been involved in
legislation to eliminate the surplus of homeless dogs and cats.
this has largely been through mandatory spay/neuter laws.  They
also have opposed legalization of dog and horse racing; hunting and
trapping on national wildlife refuges; what they consider inhumane
predator control; laboratory testing of animals; and the wearing of
fur.  Additionally, guidelines for the raising of farm animals
humanely have been published by HSUS.

     The National Humane Education Society (founded in 1948) would
also "end bullfighting, rodeo and other cruel animal sports
wherever performed and wherever represented as art or
entertainment."  They are working to abolish cruel trapping and
allow that in their opinion, there is no such thing as humane
trapping.  Their agenda would also outlaw hunting and advance
sterilization programs for companion animals.

     According to PETA itself:  "We support legislation to outlaw
pit bulls and other breeds of dogs to prevent their further abuse."
They are also strongly "opposed to the purposeful breeding of any
animal."

     The San Mateo ordinance is the most famous of the breed ban
legislation.  What supporters fail to realize is that even if every
dog in San Mateo county were spayed or neutered, the number of
puppies in stores which are imported from the midwest would not
decline.

     It doesn't take long to get involved in the lingo the rights
activists use.  One of their favorite phrases is the "Pet
overpopulation problem".  A more accurate term would be "unwanted
pet problem".  It is a fact that, for the past two decades, the
number of animals entering shelters has declined radically.  This
corresponds to the similar decline in the numbers that are
euthanized.  There is no longer a pet overpopulation problem.  What
we do have is an unwanted pet problem because of unrealistic owner
expectations and lack of basic training.  Education is the key to
the solution to this problem.  Not legislation.

     What are the main reasons dogs are turned into shelters?  The
puppy grew up and is no longer cute; the dog is winning a pack
leadership contest due to lack of training; the family is moving
and does not want to make arrangements for the dog; or the dog is
purchased for a child to take responsibility of and the child
fails.  The truth is that many people should not own dogs, and that
many more get dogs for the wrong reasons.  These people need
instruction prior to purchase.

     The animal rights activists believe dog shows, service work,
4-H, and obedience represent unacceptable forms of "slavery".
Domestication itself apparently represents unethical manipulation
of animals by mankind.  They further believe that crimes committed
in order to "free" animals are ethically justifiable.

     The politics of these groups reminds one of Hitler's Mein
Kampf.  There is no doubt that the route they take is fascist in
nature.  They have decided what is "right", further decided that
the end justifies the means and have utilized mass propaganda to
convince the rest of us.  Mankind is apparently too stupid or
greedy to grasp the importance of their beliefs.  If anyone still
opposes the groups, then terrorist tactics are used.

     This is in part the reason why media exposes are not seen.
Many who have written about specific groups have become embroiled
in lawsuits.  Remember the financial backing afforded these groups.
Where lawsuits fail, terrorist threats such as arson, shooting and
threatening mail are invoked.  Fear has proven to be a great
immobilizer.

     The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is the terrorist arm of the
animal rights groups.  They claim credit for destroying research
facilities and liberating cattle from ranches.

     Actually we have evolved to a new political plane with PETA
et. al.  The first civil rights issues involved racism, then
sexism, now we are delving into speciesism.  There is a distinct
difference between animal rights and animal welfare agencies.
Those promoting welfare accept the Judeo/Christian tenants that we
should adequately care for our animals.  While those in favor of
animal rights equate the moral status of animals with that of
people.  In their philosophy there is "no rational basis for
maintaining a moral distinction between the treatment of human and
other animals."

     Ingrid Newkirk from PETA seems to have a profound contempt for
humanity.  She has said "What other animal has two World Wars and
a Holocaust to its credit?  We have grown like a cancer.  We're the
biggest blight on the face of the earth." (Reader's Digest, June,
1990).

     Somehow she seems to equate mankind and progress to evil.
After all, when we build a hospital or school, we clear ground that
formerly supported wildlife.  She wants to tear down modern
civilization and return to a fairy tale version of wildlife.  It
apparently has escaped her that in the wild, most animals do not
die of old age.  They are killed by predators or illness.

     While I may be guilty of speciesism, I cannot condone equality
of humans and other animals.  One of the more famous quotes of
Newkirk is "A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy" (Washingtonian
Magazine, August 1986).  I doubt that there are many of you reading
this that would spare a laboratory rate that could save the life of
a child.

     Another quote "Six million people died in concentration camps,
but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughter
houses." (Washington Post, November, 1983).  To make this
comparison devalues the seriousness of Nazi concentration camps and
reduces Jewish suffering to trivial terms.

     Of course the purpose is to impress one enough to become a
vegetarian.  The fact that animals in the wild eat meat is never
addressed.  The most recent effort to convince us carnivores to
convert is the PETA advertisement which compares Jeffrey Dahmer's
diet with that of any meat eater.

     When attacking the abuses of animals it is interesting to note
that women wearing fur coats are jeered at, while Harley riders
sporting leather jackets are left alone.  Could it be that these
people do in fact value their human life?

     Again according to Newkirk, apparently not.  "I am not a
morose person, but I would rather not be here.  I don't have any
reverence for life, only for the entities themselves.  I would
rather see a blank space where I am.  This will sound like
fruitcake stuff again but at least I wouldn't be harming anything.
All I can do--all you can do--while you are alive is try to reduce
the amount of damage you do by being alive." (Washington Post,
November, 1983).  One wonders if suicide might not be the answer
she is looking for.

     For one, I am perfectly willing to withhold medical treatment
that was first animal tested from these activists.  Nor, would I
deny them the pleasure of living in a cave so as not to disturb the
habitat of wildlife.  However, one does wonder if the next decade
will bring civil rights to rocks and trees.

     How about creating a new welfare/rights agency S.A.V.E. (Save
Absolutely and Virtually Everything).  Not only would legislation
prevent wearing leather and wool because of animal exploitation; it
would also prevent cotton and linen clothes because harvesting the
crops either kills or stresses the plants.

     Concerning food, no one would be allowed to eat meat or any
product that derived from animals; neither could one eat vegetables
for fear of hurting the feelings of the mother plant.  Nor could
one drink water due to all of the thousands of microscopic animals
which would perish were they were introduced to stomach acid.

     Before contributing money to any organization, it is wise to
search for a hidden agenda.

     (Anyone wishing to join SAVE please send $20 cash to the
author in care of this magazine).