Obama, A Fly, And Compassionate Living June 18, 2009
Posted by Pulin Modi | Permalink | Comments ( 14 ) | TrackBack
TAGGED:
One of the hottest news stories today has been about PETA's statement on President Obama killing a fly during a recent interview.
There's a bit of a misunderstanding on what's been going on with this (we don't have a campaign against him for swatting a fly or anything like that), so here's what we have to say ...
Certainly, President Obama has been helpful in his opposition to factory farming, which involves the mutilation and slaughter while fully conscious of 10 billion chickens and other farmed animals every year and is something America can be ashamed of. He condemned the Canadian seal slaughter, which is the largest massacre of marine mammals in the world. His wife won't wear fur, which means she doesn't support having animals die slowly in traps and an abysmal life and death on fur factory farms just for a coat. His administration is supporting openness regarding how government money is spent, so that's going to save millions of animals from painful experiments every year. And he had a perfect voting record on behalf of animals while he was in the Senate and spoke out publically in support of animal protection on multiple occasions during his campaign for President. Swatting a fly on TV indicates that he's not the Buddha, that's all.
As an organization, we support compassion even for the most curious, smallest, and least sympathetic animals, much as Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who included insects in his realm of compassion, but human beings often don't think before they act and so people swat flies and far worse.
PETA's mission statement is that other animals are not ours to eat, to wear, to experiment on, or to use for human amusement. Basically, do the least harmful, hurtful thing you can, be aware.
We hope that anyone reading this will take steps to reduce suffering through simple, kind choices in our daily lives such as choosing vegetarian meals, cruelty-free cosmetics, and clothing made without animals. Visit peta2.com/TakeCharge if you need some motivation and tips on making it happen.
Comments
It would be a Utopian universe where all beings are treated fairly, and equally, though we can't expect that everyone will share our views. I won't kill a spider if a younger child is scared of it, though I can't expect the rest of my family to care about this spider's life? Nor can we really expect Obama to care for a fly's life.
Posted by: Lochsley at June 18, 2009 9:48 PMAs I was reading this, The Tonight Show started bashing PETA for being 'mad about Obama swatting a fly.'
I really wish people weren't idiots. It gets old after awhile...
Apparently the media didn't even READ what PETA said. They just assumed they were mad.
good you better let the world know because that made peta look like freaks
Posted by: cayden at June 19, 2009 3:06 PMthx peta2 4 clearing it up...OBAMA is a good guy, hes the best prezzy we've had so far. I
Posted by: drew at June 19, 2009 4:16 PM
did u see the daily show's comments on it...lol he brought in a jar of flies and pretended to interview them about the death of their family member...then they had a picture montage for the fly that was killed...haha
i hate how everyone assumes such stupid things
Posted by: Kasu at June 20, 2009 1:41 AMI was reading about this on 'Sea Kittens & Chimps' and it annoys me that people think Peta made the first move when it was really the media that asked Peta for a response.
Posted by: Little_Lotte at June 20, 2009 1:03 PMnot meat go grean mean ppl wear fur. fur is dead ^^ im vegan i use cruelity free i dont use any kind of produc made with animals i luv animals i have pet in my hause i have a lot of plush of animals ^^
Posted by: michelle at June 20, 2009 4:01 PMI find it extremely stupid that people had the nerve to crap talk an organization like that. I think I've realized why people now days are so ignorant to the issue of animal rights: most humans are just selfish. They think, there's no profit in it for me, so why should i care. they REALLY need to get over themselves, because if they were in the position of an animal in this time period, they'd think, why is no one helping me? ugh.. that bothers me so so much.. :/
Posted by: Laura at June 21, 2009 9:47 AMWhether PETA said what the news stations brodcasted or not doesnt matter. Whats does matter though is that the people typing the telecasters reads this article. Get the story straight FOX! In order to bring attention to something someone did wrong they have to hear the whole story.
Posted by: Liv at June 21, 2009 11:48 AMThanks for clearing that up! :)
Posted by: Heather at June 21, 2009 12:37 PMat summer camp people were killing spiders nd stuff and i would juss brush them away with a broom... its much easier and saves alot of time (dead wolf spiders make more wolf spiders come), and then the spideys didnt have to die cuz they're nasty
Posted by: at June 21, 2009 7:21 PMI can totally understand the whole "treat everyone and everything with respect" deal. I mean, my Dad is practicing Buddhism and from spending time with him, so I've become a better person. I am highly arachnophobic, so when I see a spider, I don't kill it, I just scream and run away. But, honestly, I will smack a mosquitoe if it lands on me. I will fully admit that. I do not want West Nile.
Posted by: Kendra at June 22, 2009 2:47 AMI luv Obama. U can't always be conscious about everything all the time. He had a lapse in judgement. I myself ask flies to leave me alone. If 1 lands on me I ask it "Hey can u find another place to perch Mr. or Ms. Fly?"but I'm a lovey dovey15 yr old.He was in the middle of an ineterview. It must be hard to go from "Mr.Prez mode" to "I luv you fly mode"
Posted by: Alyse at June 22, 2009 1:44 PMPost a comment
Heads up: By signing up here and giving us your details, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy.
I love obama, but he seemed so proud that he killed a fly,
Posted by: zoe at June 18, 2009 7:55 PMI don't hit flys, I just lightly blow them away. :)