People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Jeff Kerr sent a letter to the Salt Lake Tribune this week complaining about an op-ed that pegged PETA as a supporter of violence. According to Kerr,
Contrary to Thad Box (“Only replacing Bush can restore honor to Americans,” Tribune, May 16), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) does not support violence and has never committed or funded any violent acts, even while countering the phenomenal violence committed against animals in food, leather and fur, entertainment and experimentation industries. Nor was PETA implicated in the bombing at the predator research station affiliated with Utah State University.
If Kerr had stopped at simply refuting Box’s suggestion that PETA was somehow connected to the Utah State University bombing he would have been on solid ground. But claiming that PETA “does not support violence…” is an obvious lie.
Ah yes, PETA doesn’t support violence which is why Bruce Freidrich in 2001 said of animal rights terrorism, “I do advocate it, and I think it’s a great way to bring about animal liberation” and why Ingrid Newkirk told the Chronicle of Higher Education in 1999 that “I find it small wonder that the laboratories aren’t all burning to the ground. If I had more guts, I’d light a match.”
PETA’s lack of support of violence certainly explains why they donated more than $40,000 to the Rodney Coronado Support Committee and later gave $1,500 to the Earth Liberation Front.
Of course what PETA opposes is not violence, but honesty. When all else fails just lie and lie some more and hope nobody notices.
Source:
PETA opposes violence. Letter to the Editor, Jeff Kerr, May 19, 2004.