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October 23, 2009
‘PETA Tötet Tiere,’ and Other Useful German Phrases
When we translated our wildly popular “PETA Kills Animals” website into German, French, Italian, and Russian, we thought maybe—just maybe—a handful of consumers in a few of PETA’s biggest expansion markets might learn a bit about the new predator in town. But to our pleasant surprise, journalists overseas are noticing too. The latest example, sent to us by more than a few fans in Germany, comes from Hannoversche Allgemeine, the biggest newspaper in the northern city of Hannover. The full article is available in German and in Google-translate English. Here are a few excerpts in more standardized English:
Often, animal rights activists will resort to crueler methods when it comes to defending the rights of creatures. They have smashed the windows of butcher shops; testing labs have gone up in flames; and researchers have received outright death threats …
Despite their questionable, sometimes criminal stances, the PETA animal rights activists attract people’s sympathy. And they have increasing influence in society. In particular, their skill in playing games with the media helps PETA to effectively ridicule the “exploitative animal establishment.” The organization is also often welcomed by journalists. After all, they supposedly promote a good cause …
But animal rights activists find themselves in a moral dead end, because almost everything people do kills or drives away animals. What would happen, for example, if pests were able to spread unchecked and destroy crops? Crop failures and famines would be the result, leading to the death of thousands of people. Many PETA supporters probably believe they are doing something for animal welfare. They have either not studied the intentions of the organization very carefully, or not sufficiently reflected on the destructive consequences of its philosophy.
Critics accuse the organization of hypocrisy. According to the Center for Consumer Freedom, PETA in the United States has, from 1998 to 2005, killed abandoned pets—apparently to save money that would have been for their food. While PETA talks about individual animal stories, critics report approximately 14,000 animals slaughtered by PETA.
Actually, PETA’s dog-and-cat death toll through the end of 2008 reached over 25,000. And insiders tell us that the killing chamber on the top floor of PETA’s Norfolk, VA offices hasn’t slowed down since we first began reporting on it.
So no matter which mother tongue you speak, help us spread the word today about PETA. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy—in any language.
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