When it's not cookie season, what are the Girl Scouts of America doing? Well, some of them are trapping beavers, much to the dismay of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (P.E.T.A.) The girls were invited by the Fish and Wildlife Agency (yes, that's the government) to participate in a beaver control program to manage the state-wide flooding problems. They learned to track, trap, skin, and cook beaver in efforts to control the population explosion. P.E.T.A has flipped out about it of course. Read the article.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-animal. I like critters, as long as they aren't trying to eat me or destroy my property. I'd go out of my way to help a turtle cross the road. I read all the James Herriot books. I think we should do our best to save endangered species, and protect animals from abuse. But P.E.T.A. is way over the top.

Take this quote in Reader's Digest (June 1990) for example. "Humans have grown like a cancer. We're the biggest blight on the face of the earth." --Ingrid Newkirk, national director of P.E.T.A.

They don't make any bones about it. They despise humanity. I'm sorry, but that's too much. As Christians, we should feel some sense of "wrongness" to that mentality. We are created in the image of God. Sure, we sin. We aren't good stewards of what God gave us all the time. But, we are not a cancer. I wonder if they hate humanity, or it's Author. But that's another post.

Remember that 8 year old kid, Jessie Arbogast that got his arm bitten off by a shark in Florida last summer? The uncle swam out and wrestled the shark to shore, retrieved his nephew's arm, and killed the shark? P.E.T.A. used the incident as an ad campaign. Truly tasteless. But that's not nearly as bad as it gets.

Did you know that P.E.T.A. officials also support the use of violence to promote animal rights? "Arson, property destruction, burglary and theft are 'acceptable crimes' when used for the animal cause." (quote from Alex Pacheco, Director, P.E.T.A.) Not to mention P.E.T.A.'s support of extreme animal rights groups that the government has labeled as "domestic terrorists". For example, A.L.F. (Animal Liberation Front). Peta gave $45,000 to the defense fund of an A.L.F. terrorist. P.E.T.A continually shows support to ALF when called upon. They deny more direct involvement with those groups, but say "It would be great if all the fast-food outlets, slaughterhouses, these laboratories and the banks who fund them exploded tomorrow… I think it's perfectly appropriate for people to take bricks and toss them through the windows... Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it." (Quote from P.E.T.A. spokesman Bruce Friedrich.) Are you KIDDING me? Not very subtle, huh?

I'd hate to be on P.E.T.A.'s badlist. If they won't do the dirty work, they know someone who will, and they'll pay for the defense of the perpetrators if they get caught. Well, you COULD be on the badlist if you're a pet owner. Did you know you're subjugating your pet to slavery? Ingrid Newkirk says, "Pet ownership is an absolutely abysmal situation brought about by human manipulation." Another one: "Let us allow the dog to disappear from our brick and concrete jungles--from our firesides, from the leather nooses and chains by which we enslave it." John Bryant, author of Fettered Kingdoms, a book published by P.E.T.A. So far, P.E.T.A hasn't thrown a brick through my window for having a cat, but we'll see. If they get bored with the Girl Scouts they may come after me. (I don't actually have a cat anymore, for the record though)

I could go on and on about it, but there's a lot of information about P.E.T.A. out there, just do a search and you'll find tons yourself. Draw your own opinion. There's nothing wrong with taking care of animals, preserving nature, etc. But be aware of the tactics and measures that some groups will go to in order to achieve their agenda. Examine that agenda closely before assuming that it's right, just because it has the word's "Ethical Treatment" in the title.

More quotes from P.E.T.A. here