From: vanetten@unix.cie.rpi.edu (John S. Van Etten)
Subject: Re: Closure on Sport Hunting.
Organization: CIE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 03:26:12 GMT

Paul Roberts writes:

>In article <xqvxh5m@rpi.edu> vanetten@unix.cie.rpi.edu (John S. Van Etten) writes:
>>Robert Black writes:
>>
>>[lots of stuff deleted]
>>
>>>There's nothing inherently bad about fanaticism if the cause is just and
>>>the tactics are ethical.
>>
>>OK, Bob, I'll bite.  What tactics do you consider ethical?  In
>>specific, do you consider PETA's tactics ethical?
>>
>>
>
>I'd just love to know what "PETA's tactics" are, that you apparently
>object to. Their chief tactic seems to me to be asking people to
>write to their Congresscritters in support of this or that bill,
>write to corporations urging them to give up one form of product
>testing in favour of another, etc.
>
>Just what "tactics" do you object to?

Paul, I appologize for not getting right back to you on this, but I've
been pretty busy recently.  I was also trying to find the info that I
have.

OK, I finally dug it out.  This comes from (you guessed it) Petersen's
_Hunting_, July 1991, p. 24 (any typos are mine):

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"How To Attack Hunting By PETA" [sic]

[Editor's note: The following was exerpted from _Wyoming Wildlife_
Magazine.  The following was obtained from a pamphlet produced by PETA
(People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) [sic], a well-known
antihunting organization.  Here is what that organization encourages
its members to do in order to disrupt hunting activities.]

1. Deny hunting lands (i.e. post them) [sic] by convincing your
neighbors that hunters cause more damage than do animals.

2. Apply for special permits to deny them to hunters.

3. Go into the woods before the season starts and disrupt normal
animal habits, using loud noises, dogs, and so on.

4. Any blinds found should be desecrated with rotten eggs, cow dung,
and the like.

5. Tear down tree stands.

6. Use repellents, such as taking a female dog in heat into hunting
areas.

7. Where bait is used, take it or spoil it with human urine, hair, or
deer repellant.

8. Encourage the passage of firearms bans (including bows and arrows)
in your hometown in the name of public safety.

9. Develop antihunting sentiment in your town.

10. Lobby for laws requiring written permission to hunt on private
land.

11. Organize groups to enter the woods during hunting season and
disrupt hunts.

12. Write your congressman encouraging the banning of hunting and
trapping on public lands.

13. Get your governor to appoint non-hunters to the Fish and Wildlife
Board.

14. Place stuffed animals in the hunting area to encourage hunters to
shoot them, scaring off wildlife.

15. Look for announcements of hunts and picket the area.  Be sure to
contact the media first to ensure maximum exposure.

16. Put pressure on the sponsors to cancel the hunts.

17. Sue every chance you get, but contact a lawyer first, because the
threat of litigation is a good deterrent.

18. Place antihunting literature in your schools and libraries to
indoctrinate young minds when they are most vulnerable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now most of this stuff is indeed "harmless" spreading of propaganda
and such.  But I'd like to call your attention to items 4, 5, and 7.
And I'll ask my question again, do you and Bob truly consider actions
such as trespassing (in order to "tear down a tree stand" you must go
on private property, since they are not allowed on public lands),
theft, and destruction of another person's property to be "ethical?"
In most places they are *illegal*, muchless ethical.  These are the
"tactics" that PETA advocates which I object to.  Any comments?


John

P.S.-- Do you folks *really* think 14 is going to work??? :-)

--
******************************************************************************
               John S. Van Etten     vanetten@unix.cie.rpi.edu
       Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute  1000 MIPS GaAs F-RISC Project
       --"If sand didn't irritate oysters, there would be no pearls"--