PeTA vs. Steve Irwin

Originally written on September 13, 2006

I was watching the news about Steve Irwin and how there's a possibility of revenge against stingrays as one killed him with their barb piercing to his heart (very sad indeed, but for the stingray, I believe it was their self-defense) and Peta found a new way to piss me off. Usually I don't really care too much- I'm glad that there's a charity to defend Animal rights; I don't like cruelty to animals either...anyway, I sent Peta a little email:
I saw in one of the newscast about Steve Irwin and about how Peta doesn't approve of his shows and believes that it's danger to the kids. Obviously you don't do much digging in your research. If you have noticed at all photos and footage of Steve and Terri Irwin's zoo of how little kids are placing flowers then you will see that they don't have any fright. Of "provoking" an animal, such as a crocodile- let me ask you something: without Steve's abilities and if he wasn't ever on the air, then how would we know how to defend ourselves? Do you know? Have you ever faced that for yourselves? Maybe you missed the news that in Florida, three women were killed by alligators. Steve didn't harm the animal, he never killed any of them- in fact it upset him to know that they were killed to make belts and shoes- you should give him that credit. Of course, I'm not surprised either of the fact he died by an animal (I am more surprised that it wasn't a crocodile). I thought Steve's documentaries were very educational, especially as I live near the Everglades and lakes were alligators and crocidiles are known to swim around.
That's about that for Steve Irwin. Sure he was over-the-top enthusiastic, but my golly, he was interesting to watch. I think that attitude had people watch him in amazement and like him. I confess, I didn't really watch the show religiously because I was either watching something else or doing something else or didn't know it's schedule was. I suppose I can say the same thing about John Ritter: know who he was, liked him, but wasn't into him as a faithful viewer. My heart goes out to Terri, Bindi, and Bob.

Now Peta...like I said, I'm glad that there's a group to speak for the animals but they have done things that I thought of were too far. I don't appreciate them forcing videos or whatever it is up the noses. Fine, voice your disapprovements, have a conversation with the person who you are up against but that should be it. At least the person would know that there's another option. You can't force someone not to wear fur or be a vegetarian. Let it be THEIR decision. I'm not a vegetarian- I do eat meat as I do eat my fruits and vegetables, if I want to be a vegetarian, then I will be on my own time and my own decision, nobody else's. That's the way it should be.

Another thing that had me pissed off about Peta- they had plans to make cats vegetarians. As a cat owner of two, here's a news flash you CAN'T get cats to be a vegetarian!!!! You can change a dog's diet easy, but cats are way too stubborn, that's for sure. What if you did think you succeeded? But then you let your cat go outside- guess what the cat's going to do? Chase a lizard, play with it, eat the insides of it. I should know- I have found enough dead lizards. You can't change that ever- no matter how hard you try, no matter where you start them as a baby kitten, they are bound to find an insect or a mouse and use them as their food source.