Friday, February 8, 2008

PeTA using racist propaganda for their own ends ( yet again ! )

Everybody probably remembers PeTA's "Holocaust on Your Plate" campaign from a few years back. It was a vile, hateful comparison of using animals for food and the murder of Jews and other people in the Nazi Holocaust. Well, their latest stunt comes close to being equally as vile as well as equally stupid. Their latest video entitled "Wrong Meeting" features a white-robed Klansman going to an American Kennel Club meeting. The inference is that breeding pure-bred dogs is akin to racism. They even introduce a new term, "breedism", which may even be more inane than "speciesism". As per usual, PeTA has no shame when it comes to exploiting the suffering of others for their own ideological gain. From the end of the Civil War up to the time of the civil rights movement, the KKK waged a campaign of murder, hatred and terror against African Americans. To compare that to the breeding of purebred dogs, and having a preference for one breed over another, is nothing short of morally and intellectually bankrupt. In their eyes, if you have a favorite breed of dog, you are no better than a Klansman. How utterly inane. Of course, moral and intellectual bankruptcy is nothing new to PeTA, so I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone. For those that relish irony, there certainly is some here. After all, PeTA, and the AR movement in general, is composed mainly of privileged whites.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Response to comments

Someone calling himself "Joey" recently left some comments on an old post that are worth sharing for the purpose of exposing their idiocy. Here is the fine little piece of wisdom left by Joey:

"Have you even read ANIMAL FARM? That Orwell qoute is totally out of context.
Ever hear of a 'confirmation bias'? Look it up and scratch your red neck cuz it applies to YOU!"

Let's dissect Joey's little attack. Yes, I have read Animal Farm. I am well aware, and most readers probably are as well, that the quote from the character Napoleon I use is not used in the context of the book. I use it on the header of the blog because, when placed into the context of animal rights and "speciesism", it becomes quite witty and amusing. If I had used this quote out of context in an attempt to support a specific argument, Joey would have a valid point. However, nowhere on this blog have I used this quote to support an argument. It is simply there to provide wit ( wit which apparently eludes Joey ) and to provoke thought.
As for "confirmation bias", the astute reader will notice that Joey gives no specific examples of said confirmation bias that he is accusing me of, making said accusation rather hollow. It is also quite amusing to me that someone who I assume is an AR supporter would accuse someone who doubts the validity of the AR ideology of confirmation bias. In fact, it is quite laughable. ARAs start from a predetermined position that their ideology is morally correct and righteous. They then use all kinds of fallacies and circular reasoning to try to "prove" the validity of that belief. One need only skim through any number of pro-AR blogs, websites, or FAQs to see this in action. For someone who supports AR to accuse someone who is skeptical about the rational validity of the AR ideology is the height of living in a glass house and throwing stones.
Joey's attack gets really funny at this point. He goes from trying to impress with a big term like "confirmation bias" to an utterly mindless ad hominem fallacy. Really, Joey, "red neck"? Is that all the better you can do? "Redneck" is so tired, so passe', so lame. If you're going to engage in this kind of idiotic name-calling, at least try to be funny, clever or witty. You have been none of the above. Thanks for playing, Joey. Anytime you want to embarrass yourself again, I'll be happy to post your comments for other readers to see.



Sunday, January 27, 2008

Disgraced New Jersey senator launches anti-hunting tirade

Here is an amusing little tirade by one Robert Torricelli. For those that don't know, Mr. Torricelli is a former U.S. senator from New Jersey who was forced from office after being implicated in a bribery scandal. Let's dissect Mr. Torricelli's diatribe:

"I did, however, observe a bow hunter last month while hiking through the woods. This gentleman must have weighed in at about 250 lbs. This was probably his first sporting experience since the hot dog eating competition at Nathan's."

Why does Torricelli feel the need to engage in ad hominem attacks against this individual? How does attacking him for his appearance lend any credibility to his argument? Answer: it doesn't. It's simply self-indulgence.


"He was perched in a tree with lunch and refreshments. Below him were scattered melons and corn. With the onset of winter the deer are without plentiful food. The smaller deer in particular can't find anything to eat and are quickly attracted to the pile of seeds. The great hunter must have been resting thirty or forty feet from his prey. Felling the helpless and hungry animal requires all of the skill and precision of a bather finding the surf. The arrow flies directly down on the feeding animal."


Here, Torricelli makes two points, one I agree with, the other I don't. His first comments about baiting deer are right on the money. Baiting wildlife with food, is, in most states illegal. At the very least, it is very poor sportsmanship. I don't know if baiting is illegal in New Jersey, but if it is, did Torricelli report this individual to a game warden? If not, why not? I certainly would. I do not hesitate to report any illegal activities I see from hunters and anglers, because such activities are bad for wildlife and conservation, not to mention they ruin the experience for those of us who do it ethically and legally, as well as bringing general disrepute on all sportsmen.
Torricelli's second point that it is easy to make a shot from above on deer is off the mark. In bowhunting, most shots require skill, even at close range. Many factors come into play, including wind, the angle of the shot, the draw weight of the bow, the type of sight being used, etc.. Shots from above are often more difficult than shots in which the archer and the target are level with one another. Anyone who has tried archery can attest to the fact that it is more difficult than it looks. I doubt that Mr. Torricelli has ever picked up a bow in his life, let alone made a difficult shot.


"It only gets worse. The slaughter is only part of the story. Days latter my dog begins to arrive home with various body parts. Whole legs, ribs and skulls arrive at my door. It isn't enough that the animal is killed."


How does Torricelli know that the parts his dog was dragging home came from a carcass abandoned by a hunter? He offers no proof. How does he know it didn't come from roadkill or some other source? Furthermore, why does he irresponsibly let his dog roam about the countryside at will?


"The carcass is left to rot. Provisions have been made for homeless centers to receive the meat to feed the needy. It would make some sense out of the killing. It's just too hard to climb down from the tree and recover the dead animal. There's just so much exertion that one sport can impose on its participants."

Here again, I must concur with Torricelli on this. Leaving a carcass to rot is at best unethical, and at worst, in many states, it is illegal to waste edible wildlife. Again, it also begs the question, however, if it is illegal in New Jersey, and Torricelli knew it was going on, why did he not report it to authorities?


"A small wounded doe was found hovering behind my barn. Her leg was nearly severed by a single blast from our precision marksmen. She shook in terror if you approached. Her panic caused her to urinate as her wide eyes conveyed pure terror. She couldn't move but she dragged herself on three legs to attempt a futile escape."

If this deer was found on Torricelli's property, and was wounded this badly, it didn't get there from very far. A hunter would have wounded it very close to where it was found. If that is the case, they were very likely trespassing on Torricelli's property. And yet, we aren't told whether anyone was trespassing, and whether or not Torricelli confronted them or notified law enforcement. Notice also the self-contradictory statement in the last sentence: "she couldn't move but she dragged herself..". All of it leads me to question the truthfulness of Torricelli's little tale.


"I killed her. I ended her misery. "

Now Torricelli's story just gets better. He claims he killed her. How did he kill her? Was it in humane fashion? Why doesn't he tell us? Furthermore, did he have a license to kill a deer? If not, he himself is technically a poacher and a lawbreaker! Intentional killing of wildlife without the proper license to do so is poaching, Senator Torricelli. Also, what did he do with the carcass? Did he hand it over to wildlife officials as he should have? Why doesn't he tell us? When one looks critically at Senator Torricelli's story, very little of it adds up.


"60,000 deer will be slaughtered in New Jersey this year because we tolerate these yahoos and haven't the will to humanely control the population."

One wonders what ideas Torricelli has in mind "to humanely control the population". Since he would apparently rather just rant than offer solutions, one has to wonder. Perhaps he has "deer birth control" in mind. Such a solution is a known failure on many levels. First, it is extremely labor intensive because the vast majority of the female deer in the population have to be treated in order for it to be effective. It is thus very, very expensive. Hunting, by contrast, actually generates revenue for wildlife departments, making them fairly self-sufficient and thus making wildlife management far less of a burden on taxpayers. Secondly, it can take years for the population to decline and tangible results to be seen. Third, and most importantly, are the negative ecological impacts of such a policy. The drugs used in "deer birth control", once they are introduced, have the potential to contaminate the entire food chain and have very negative ecological consequences. It is not a viable solution, despite the false claims of the AR community. Perhaps Torricelli had predator introduction in mind. Reintroduction of native predators to ecosystems has great ecological benefits, but if he's looking for a "humane" solution, this isn't it. The death that prey animals suffer at the fangs and claws of predators is often far less humane than any arrow or bullet from a hunter.


I wonder if Torricelli is a vegan or vegetarian. My guess is no, which costs his rant something in terms of moral credibility. If Torricelli is a meat eater, as I guess he probably is, then he is simply paying someone else to do the "dirty work" of killing animals for him to eat ( even if he is a vegan, the production of his food still involves animal suffering and death ). At least hunters have the courage to recognize where food comes from and do the killing themselves. An anti-hunting omnivore ranks right up there with many ARAs as the worst kind of hypocrite.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Gary Yourofsky advocates rape in insane diatribe

Anyone who doubts just how completely and utterly sick and idiotic some in the animal rights movement can be, really needs to read this insane little screed by one Gary Yourofsky that was published in The Shield, the student newspaper of Indiana Southern University. For those not familiar with Mr. Yourofsky, he is one of the single most radical figures in the animal rights movement. He is a "humane education lecturer" employed by PeTA. He is a convicted felon that spent 6 months in a maximum security prison in Canada. Let's dissect Yourofsky's venomous, crazy little tirade:

"Each year I give around 250 lectures on ethical veganism to over 10,000 students explaining that victims of discrimination, slavery and murder come in all shapes and sizes."

Ten thousand students! Now that's a scary thought isn't it? Here we have a convicted felon, who is an unabashed advocate for terrorism and violence, and he lectures to 10,000 students a year, some of them even at the middle school level? Why is this nutjob allowed anywhere near a school or the impressionable minds of young people? We don't allow the Ku Klux Klan, Islamic radicals, or any other hate and violence promoting individuals or groups to lecture in schools. Why should Yourofsky be allowed to spew his venom, when, he in fact is no different? Any school administrator who would allow this person to speak to children ought to terminated and never allowed to work in education again.



"So, while my lifestyle and lectures are based on compassion, those who refuse to stop harming animals force me to support 'eye for an eye' and 'by any means necessary' philosophies."

What Yourofsky is espousing here is the philosophy of the desperate. The animal rights movement has utterly failed to convince people that it is wrong to use animals for utilitarian purposes such as food, clothing, scientific research, companionship, etc.. Yourofsky knows this. Since he and his movement cannot achieve what they want through changing minds, in desperation, they resort to tactics of violence and terrorism instead. Where else do we see this kind of "philosophy" in the world today? Does the term "radical Islam" or the name al-Qaida ring a bell? Just like Yourofsky and his ilk, they too have failed to convince the majority of the world that their way is best, and they too turn to the same type of threats and actions.



"Rapists, murderers and child molesters should be vivisected, executed and dissected, allowing researchers the opportunity to gather useful information that would actually benefit human health for a change."


In the previous statement above, Yourofsky claims that his lifestyle is "based on compassion". Now, he comes up with this little gem! Can't you just feel the compassion oozing from Mr. Yourofsky? It seems that Yourofsky's understanding of rights only includes animals and he is utterly ignorant of basic human rights. He is also utterly ignorant of the contributions that scientific research using animals has made to human health, as the list is quite extensive.


"Every woman ensconced in fur should endure a rape so vicious that it scars them forever."


Wow. I did a double take and had to read this twice to make sure that's really what I was reading. I've read a lot of things from ARAs in my time, from the amusing to the idiotic to the utterly crazy, but this about takes the cake. Yourofsky has just advocated, in no uncertain terms, that a woman be raped. A rape is one of the most heinous, horrible crimes of violence that can be committed against a woman. To advocate it is so hateful, so venomous, and so misogynistic that one is at a loss for words. Bear in mind that this is not only just one of the leaders of the animal rights movement, but one of the leaders that actively targets young minds for indoctrination and recruitment.



"I'll be lecturing at USI on Tuesday, January 29, in the Mitchell Auditorium from 7-9 p.m."


I'm torn as to how I think the student body and faculty and Indiana Southern should deal with Yourofsky's "speech". One part of me hopes that the hall is full and that the good people of ISU boo him off the podium and drive him from their campus. On the other hand, perhaps the best thing is for no one to show up at all. Perhaps one of the best things that can be done with a criminally-minded, hate-mongering, misogynistic lunatic is to just ignore him and thus give absolutely no creedence to his hate and lunacy.

There's little more that I can add to Yourofsky's screed that it doesn't say for itself. Animal rights advocates wonder why the majority of the world dismisses them as crazy. When one of the prominent figures of their movement spews this kind of vile insanity, it is all to easy to see why that is the case. If I had to bet the farm, I would also guess that you won't see any of Yourofsky's rhetoric condemned on any pro-AR blog or website.


P.S. Has anyone ever noticed that some AR cowards like to threaten women who wear fur, but you never, ever hear them threaten big guys that ride Harley's and wear leather from head to toe?





Sunday, January 13, 2008

I'm back....

after a hiatus over the holidays. We were very busy over the holiday period as Stephanie and I entertained some family and I had a lot going on after I got back to work afterwards. All of it left little time to update the blog. I should be updating more frequently now. This week I'll be looking at Dr. Jerry Vlasak lying to the Senate back in 2005, and deconstruct a rather amusing, vociferous little anti-hunting diatribe by a corrupt former New Jersey Senator. And I'll continue to examine Gary Francione's goofy AR FAQ's.

Friday, January 11, 2008

PeTA: Still in the animal killing business

Here are some statistics from the Virginia Dept. of Agriculture on PeTA's animal killing activities for 2006. PeTA killed a total of 3,229 animals in 2006. This includes 248 animals classified as wildlife. PeTA adopted out only 12, that's right just 12, companion animals. What's really interesting to me are the statistics concerning wildlife. PeTA returned only one single animal to the wild. Only one. That is an absolutely horrible record compared to some of the wildlife rehabilitation organizations out there. PeTA's hypocrisy on this issue is once again incredulous. PeTA kills more animals in one year, simply as a matter of convenience , than the average hunter will kill in his/her lifetime, and yet it's we hunters who are supposed to be the "bad guy" according to them? The hypocrisy is mind-boggling. PeTA has admitted in the past that it has the resources to actually care for all of the animals it takes in, but it still chooses not to. PeTA would rather spend its 29 million dollar budget on propaganda and cheap publicity stunts than actually caring for animals. To them, it's all about power, money and drawing attention to themselves, folks. How can anyone take an organization seriously that claims animals have rights, but then kills the vast majority of those same animals entrusted to their care?

Sunday, December 16, 2007

The good news: Rodney Coronado is going back to jail. The bad news: it isn't for long enough

AR arsonist Rodney Coronado is headed back to jail yet AGAIN. Coronado plead guilty Friday to demonstrating how to create an incendiary device with the intent of having someone else go out and commit a criminal act. Under the plea deal, the judge will be asked to impose a sentence of one year and one day in prison. The maximum sentence would have been twenty years. This is what, the third time now that Coronado has been convicted of a crime? And he only gets a year? How many times will this waste of oxygen be allowed to commit crimes until someone finally throws the book at him? I would think that eventually some kind of habitual criminal law should kick in. Lock this loser up for good. He is obviously incapable of being a productive, responsible citizen.