Everyone's assessment of PETA and some other high-profile groups is largely
correct; I've always wondered who was choosing targets at PETA, when I could
tell them a dozen animal issues that are real and would have an immediate
impact. Before we trash all of these groups or people, consider some real
issues: do you support HIV/AIDS testing on chimpanzees? on gibbons? on green
monkeys? Do you support testing on rabbits for cosmetics? To me, these are
all very real issues that can quickly polarize otherwise rational
discussion.
Personally, I think it's barbaric to test cosmetics/shampoos on rabbits;
this is largely because I have two house rabbits who I think have higher
moral standards than many people. (How do you measure? Well, just an
opinion...)
Chimpanzees are an endangered species, who arguably are also much more like
us than we want to admit.
This line of reasoning doesn't directly lead to fish issues, because there's
no large scale testing on fish (well, there are toxicity tests on
mummichogs, _Fundulus heteroclitus_; maybe I ignore those because I have
such a healthy respect for mummichogs' resilience under extreme conditions).
There is the whole issue of tightly regulating/limiting fish shipments (I'm
opposed to that), and also limiting coral reef collecting (some of which I
think is a good idea). Most of us would probably agree that defeding pupfish
habitat, for instance, is truly an animal rights issue even though it's
rarely phrased that way. And I wish most PETA types would wake up and see
that as a priority.
I suppose I'll conclude with saying, we shouldn't make possible friends
enemies. There truly are goofy rednecks who are a problem, and I don't mean
most hunters or fishermen. We have to ally with them, too; in Massachusetts
such an alliance has been known as the Guns & Roses alliance.
I'm outta here,
Bruce Stallsmith
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