Dear PETA: Get some perspective. Sincerely, Me

As an example of the "one bad apple . . . " theory, I submit for today's reading pleasure PETA.

When I was at [tree-hugging-conservation-loving-hippie] college, we got a good laugh out of their "Eat the Whales" campaign and made the most out of their "Got Beer?" campaign, but seriously - these folks go so far on some topics that they totally turn folks off of the good points that they make. YES, there are plenty of places where animals are treated cruelly and YES we should put an end to that. But their self-proclaimed "uncompromising views on animal rights" turn issues into a black-or-white, right-or-wrong, all-or-nothing battle.

PETA wants things to change - okay, good for them, so do I (though not necessarily the same things). But as Jane Goodall said, "Lasting change is a series of compromises. And compromise is all right, as long your values don't change."

A few major issues I have:

PETA wants to ban the pit bull breed.
Tiffany says - sure, because that will stop dog fighting. NOT! Ban the bad guys, not the breed. And really, the number of dogs used for fighting that resemble pit bulls is amazing - go here to see if you can find the pit bull. Interesting, hmm? Would PETA like us to also ban the ~20 breeds that are often confused with pit bulls, too?

PETA hates zoos, saying they, "almost always favor large and charismatic animals who draw crowds and neglect less popular, but still needy, species," and that, "returning captive-bred animals to the wild is, in most cases, impossible."
Tiffany says - large and charismatic animals are an excellent way to get people into the zoo so that we can expose them to those less-known species. Great example -- at the Saint Louis Zoo, people may come to see the polar bears. While they are there, we introduce them to the less-known but more-threatened Malayan Sun Bear, which is actually the most endangered bear in the world. Or we get folks to care about "umbrella species," like elephants, and by preserving their habitat we also save a number of other species that share the habitat.

Tiffany also says - reintroduction of captive-born animals, if done correctly, can not only increase population levels and genetic diversity, but also provide excellent educational opportunities. Check out the collaboration between the National Zoo & Brazil to help populations of Golden Lion Tamarins.

More recently, PETA threw a fit because St. Louis Children's Hospital uses cats to teach its Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) class. The cats are sedated heavily and monitored by a veterinarian while people learn how to intubate infants. This is done four to six times a year, and after a few years the cats are adopted out. So yes, how dare they house, feed and provide veterinary care for these animals before finding them good homes, all while also teaching people how to save infants' lives while the cats are asleep! According to PETA, the cats would be better off euthanized. [sarcasm] That makes perfect sense to me. [/sarcasm]

What I want to know is this: let's say that, heaven forbid, one of these PETA folks' newborn children stops breathing. Do you honestly think they are going to ask the paramedic how they learned PALS? Do you really think they will say, "no, don't touch my child!" if the responder learned using a cat rather than a mannequin? Because seriously - if anyone I know stops breathing suddenly, I don't care how you learned to save them, just save them!

So here is the point of my rant:
By taking an "uncompromising" stand on certain issues, PETA alienates people who, like me, believe that problems are best solved through collaboration and cooperation. PETA gets no support from me, I choose to support those organizations who I believe really promote animal welfare - and that includes punishing animal abusers, not banning breeds; and promoting species survival and conservation. All species alive today are here because they've been able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. If PETA can't adapt to changes in society, they too face extinction -- and I can't say I'd be sad to see them go.