PETA - Domestic Terrorists

The Deseret Morning News had a story Saturday about a case of vandalism at a local restaurant that appears to have been committed by local animal "rights" groups.

The FBI is apparently investigating acts of vandalism and violence at one of Salt Lake City's poshest restaurants, which has been a target of animal rights activists.
A picture window at the Metropolitan restaurant was smashed. The
restaurant's owner said red paint has been thrown at the building, a gas main was damaged and a server was also punched in the face during a confrontation on New Year's Eve.
Metropolitan owner Karen Olson told the Deseret Morning News she was questioned by FBI agents about the vandalism.

The Metropolitan had apparently been targeted for serving foie gras - something that apparently had already been pulled from the menu.

The Metropolitan no longer serves foie gras, the fatty liver of ducks or geese. Olson took it off the menu after protests. Other restaurants have done the same, some because of polite requests by animal rights activists who wrote letters; others because of protests outside their buildings.

The FBI suspects that the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is responsible for the vandalism. The FBI considers ALF a "domestic terrorist group" because of their penchant to advocate violence to their targets - usually researchers looking for things like cancer and AIDS cures.

While the vandalism does bother me, what bothered me the most was the attitude from the AR supporters that this kind of behavior is somehow acceptable if it helps their cause.

"The protesters, including me, were made aware of these acts because police told us about them when we would subsequently show up to protest," said Jeremy Beckham, who has protested outside the restaurant...Beckham is with Utah Primate
Freedom, which has sparked a legal debate as the Salt Lake County Council sought to ban their demonstrations outside the homes of University of Utah scientists who participate in animal research. A conditional ban has been approved.
In his e-mail to the Deseret Morning News, he said the oppression of animals is "no less serious or atrocious than the oppression of humans."
"Their suffering is indistinguishable from our own and heaps of suffering are being thrown on them for the most trivial of human desires and profit," he wrote. "Once you see it that way, it's almost not impossible to view the ALF as a sort of
modern-day Underground Railroad."

This is the thing that has always gotten me about the animal rights movement - their total disregard for human suffering. You see - to this folks animals are more important - more valuable than people are.

Sorry Jeremy - these primates are not "indistinguishable" from humans. If they were they would not be living in treetops, they would have built cities and universities and written sonatas and sonets and made all the other myriad of accomplishments that human civilization has. While I am not OK with hurting animals for the sake of "entertainment" (bear baiting or cock fighting for example) I am perfectly fine with the medical research that is done today because so much has been done to make sure that the animals are not suffering needlessly during the trials!

But what about the "screams" that come from the animals any time a researcher approaches them you ask. I ask how do you know those are "screams"? You have avowed not to "use" animals so you don't know that there are different types of noises that animals make in different situations. Take (for example) the crazed puppy Jack. His noise is to bark. When he barks he could be asking to go outside, he could be scared or he could be protecting his "sheep" (humans). Unless you have lived with him for a while you would not know which was which! For all you know those "screams" could be calls of greeting or looking for attention! YOU JUST DON'T KNOW because you do not live with the animal day in and day out to know what it's needs are.

And that my friends is why PETA and it's ilk are rapidly losing the public relations war in America. Until they start valuing human life as much as they value animal life, they will be considered to be the terrorists that they are.