December 23, 2003
SEEKING CONVERTS AMONG THEIR PEERS:
PETA to cannibals: Don't let them eat steak (Wesley J. Smith, December 21, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle)
When Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals infamously asserted in 1986, "There is no rational basis for asserting that a human being has special rights: A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy," few believed that she meant it literally. Surely, people thought, Newkirk and PETA understand that humans have far greater moral worth than animals.Actually, they don't. In fact, it now appears that PETA's moral views have become so distorted and misanthropic that the organization sees little difference between eating a steak and cannibalizing a human being.
Here's the story: Armin Meiwes, the "German cannibal," shocked the world when he admitted to slaughtering, butchering and eating a man he met over the Internet. PETA's reaction to this sickening event?` It sent Meiwes a vegetarian cookbook and a hamper full of veggie burgers in the hope of converting him to vegetarianism.
"What this man did to a German computer expert is done to other creatures every day," a PETA spokesman explained. "The cruel scenario of slaughtering, cutting up, portioning, freezing and eating of body parts," the actions taken by Meiwes against his human victim, "is the grim reality for more than 450 million sentient individuals (animals) that are killed in (Germany) every year."
In other words, according to PETA, when you enjoy a lamb chop or eat a hamburger, you are acting no differently than the cannibal who butchered a man and ate his flesh.
The conversion to vegetarianism did wonders for another German. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 23, 2003 9:26 AM
Mmmm, lamb chops.
Posted by: David Cohen at December 23, 2003 9:51 AMI remember vividly in 1986 being labled "the radical right wing extremist" for eagerly taking Miss Newkirk quite literally and drawing others' attention to the fact that these people aren't just harmless animal lovers but seek to control what you and I eat.
David: No kidding. That 7-bone Beef Rib Roast is looking mighty fine. Can't wait for the big dinner in 2 days!
Posted by: John Resnick at December 23, 2003 10:44 AMHitler was not a vegetarian, but you are an idiot.
Posted by: Gracián at December 23, 2003 1:55 PMThe two aren't mutually exclusive.
Posted by: oj at December 23, 2003 2:08 PMSource, Gracian? Every biography I've ever read says he was not merely a vegetarian but a sort of combination vegan/Mormon, who also claimed to avoid caffeine.
He claimed to drink a special tea made out of apple peelings, but his housekeeper said "it was just regular tea."
Posted by: Harry Eagar at December 23, 2003 2:29 PMI was tasked last week to buy the Hanukah brisket. I went to our favorite butcher shop, only to learn that they only had whole briskets, but they'd be glad to cut it up for me. I soon walked out with three briskets, totaling 12lbs.
Mmmm, brisket.
Posted by: David Cohen at December 23, 2003 4:08 PMThe big Nazi was a bit of greenie as well as a strident non-smoker and vegetarian according to most of the sources with which I am familiar. Quite prissy, actually.
Posted by: at December 23, 2003 4:24 PMMussolini was a vegetarian, too. According to Denis Mack Smith, his family was so poor that he never got used to eating meat.
Toward the end, he was eating 14 pounds of grapes a day.
Stalin and other tyrants were, I believe, mostly carnivores, and Stalin was a chainsmoker.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at December 23, 2003 4:44 PMYes, Hitler was a vegetarian. He also eschewed caffeine and his lips were never polluted either by alcohol or tobacco. Hitler, in short, was a nonpareil of virtues.
By PETA standards, that is.
Posted by: Josh Silverman at December 23, 2003 5:49 PMHowever, he was addicted to cream cakes.
Never trust an environmentalist, teetotaller or vegetarian. They have no sense of humour and no compassion.
Posted by: Peter B at December 23, 2003 7:31 PMPeter:
You could say that about zealots of any stripe.
Hmm, may have picked the wrong day to boast of my meat eating.
Posted by: David Cohen at December 24, 2003 11:01 AM