PETA: The Movement behind the Ideology
For decades, the issue of animal rights has been a long-standing topic in most discussions and debates. It goes without saying that animals should be accorded certain rights and, as living creatures, we are morally responsible in upholding and protecting these rights. But where do we draw the line? Is it enough that we observe certain proprieties with regard to handling animals? Or should we completely lay off utilizing animals for our basic needs such as food and clothing? For the members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), animal rights covers the philosophy that animals are “not ours (meaning a human’s possession) to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment”. The organization is mainly aimed at animal liberation – that is, by changing the popular mindset and encouraging people to go for more humane approaches where animals are concerned. To some, this sounds like a promising ideology. Encouraging the public to adapt a lifestyle that doesn’t abuse other creatures is an impressive cause. PETA boasts of maximizing all possible resources toward achieving the goal of animal liberation. But what if the “methods” that they take pride in trample on other people’s idealisms? Does the end really justify the radical means of imposing and forcing one’s own beliefs on other people? The most important question of all is this: what happens when the group who’s supposed to be the champion of animal welfare has started to contradict the same philosophy which binds their organization together?
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