Rock stars and P.E.T.A.

 When I was entering Junior College I was really starting to live for myself and re-examine choices I had made up until that point. Junior College was my first taste of adulthood, which I was eager to begin. I was starting to question why I was such an animal lover AND ate meat. I felt like a hypocrite.

 One day during a break between classes I stumbled across some pamphlets for P.E.T.A. I browsed through them and was appalled at what I saw. If you know P.E.T.A. you know the drill. They filled their printed work with pictures of sad looking animals being tortured or dying. Any feeling human being would be bothered by this. Just after seeing those pictures I decided to become a vegetarian.

 I wish I still had the pamphlets, but inside they had lists and quotes by famous celebrities who endorsed P.E.T.A.  One of them was Pamela Anderson, which didn't impress me. But the list also mentioned Iggy Pop and the late Joey Ramone. I was sold. Just finding out Joey Ramone was a fan of P.E.T.A. had me right then and there. I expect that was a good example of how people see and feel about P.E.T.A. initially. Most of us love animals, and if a famous person says it's good most of us go for it. I didn't know it yet, but I was about to learn a lesson.

 A few years later I found myself volunteering at a local animal shelter. I began as a "cat cuddler" (best job ever) and worked my way up to an adoption counselor. Eventually I became a veterinary technician (no certification) for an animal hospital and worked as a kennel tech. During that time I got to learn really what P.E.T.A was about. When you work in the animal field people assume a lot of things about you. People often assumed I was a vegetarian, hemp wearing, lesbian. None of which was true. And I seemed to encounter 'Peta people' every time I ate. Sometimes co-workers and other people from other shelters would be abhorred with my lunch which without a doubt had meat in it. The vegetarian thing didn't last long, I like to eat. But my love for animals was always strong. I had a conversation with one of my bosses at the time about it and she explained Peta people to me, and more importantly P.E.T.A.

 They believe in "complete animal liberation" which means no meat, no fur, no fishing, no seeing eye dogs,  therapy dogs, no police dogs, no zoos, NO pets (ever)...complete animal liberation. I was surprised to learn all this because I was thinking exactly what most of the population thinks; that P.E.T.A is good. They show their 'dislike' for certain people and places by committing acts of terror. The waves of their actions could be felt in the places that I worked. I also worked with some of them. As soon as I knew what they were really about I was no longer a fan.

 Now that brings me to the question, how could Iggy, Joey, Joan Jett, and all these other idols of mine possibly go for all this P.E.T.A stuff? I always thought of Joey Ramone as a smart guy who knew his shit. How could he possibly believe in an organization like this? So much so that he endorses them? It makes me sad. It makes me extra sad to see even more of them blindly jumping on the Peta band wagon by being featured on their stamps.

 I'm not going to be a jerk and post any videos and any P.E.T.A related links on here. Their videos are brutal and posting one would ruin anyone's day. But here are some articles worth reading from noteworthy sources Huffington Post: Shocking Photos: PETA's Secret Slaughter of Kittens, Puppies
NY Times: PETA Finds Itself on Receiving End of Others’ Anger
A whole website about it: PETA Kills Animals
Seriously, Google it and you'll have lots to see and read.

Here's an analogy; P.E.T.A. is to animal rights what the Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity.