the world is now insane

[Ken Gargett]

don't these morons realise that by making such utter pillocks of themselves that they damage their cause, far more than any rational opposition could ever do.

this is a report from our local paper. worth reading to the last para. idiots.

and i have no idea why it formats that way. (Fixed for you, Ken - Fuzz)

ANIMAL activists have reached a bizarre new level of shear stupidity - complaining about foul language directed at sheep.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has lodged a complaint with the RSPCA that a farm worker swore at sheep during shearing sessions. The group presented footage of the 'Verbal abuse", believed to have been recorded by an undercover operative working at the same station.

PETA claimed the words used were distressing the animals and the lambasting case has created a debate about whether sheep can understand the English language. The alleged sheep sledging took place at Boorungie Station, about l30km from Broken Hill.

RSPCA NSW chief executive Steve Coleman said the case was "rare" and was treated seriously by officers but

eventually dismissed. "If there is an allegation that puts at risk an animal that would cause it unnecessary suffering and dishes, we would investigate it," he said. "I don't know if it matters what language is used, "An animal is not going to understand it."

Mr Coleman told the ABC the video would not have been usable in a legal case and the matter was formally dropped. "We felt the footage was inadmissible and therefore we relied on what,oral evidence came from both parties," he said. "It was conflicting and on that,basis we were unable to continue. The evidence that was available basically came down to one person's word against another."

Boorungie Station operator Ken Tuner told the ABC: "The allegation was that bad language was used by an employee on the property in front of the sheep, and that they could have been offended by the üse of bad language."

PETA has been running an anti-wool campaign and last month angered Queensland's farming community with fake images posted online of a bloodied lamb, supposedly hurt during shearing and the slogan: "Here's the rest of your wool coat."

The group created controversy in Britain this week, calling for the name of the country's oldest pub to be

changed. PETA claimed that "Ye Olde Fighting *****" is offensive to chickens and should be changed to "Ye Olde Clever Cock" to celebrate them as intelligent, sensitive and social creatures.

[fingerburner]

I thought it common knowledge that sheep dislike baaaaad language...

[Ken Gargett]

I thought it common knowledge that sheep dislike baaaaad language...

that was the headline.

you can rest assured that if you ever need it, you can get a job on one of rupert's rags.

[fingerburner]

Outstanding. Career achievement unlocked!

[JohnS]

I'll make a note to remember these animal activist objections the next time I'm enjoying a meat pie at the footy!

[jat]

Should have posted that as the Friday funny.

On the scale of things to get mad about that's somewhere near getting your socks mixed up after washing.

and as an aside, I always laughed at the name on Jamie Oliver's travelling kitchen, 'The Cock N Cider'. Can't believe he got away with it.

[Borgy]

The minority seem to rule these days WTF political correctness has gone MAD.

Certain groups have no idea I'm all for human treatment of animals. Mans inhumanity to man should be looked at and the true word of freedom. I guess we will soon have to harvest a cabbage or a lettuce a certain way soon.???????YUMMY!

[wabashcr]

I don't generally condone PETA's methods or tactics, although I do generally support their cause. While I don't agree with them on every issue (I'm not vegan or even vegetarian), I think they do expose some pretty horrifying instances of animal abuse. Stunts like the ones listed in the OP are merely ploys to draw attention to their true causes. Of course PETA do not believe sheep are insulted by profanity. But it's a good way to draw attention to their much larger anti-wool campaign. That may turn a lot of people off of their message, but they feel like planting that seed in the collective conscience does more harm than good. It's how they remain relevant, and by remaining relevant, they feel people may start to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions. And then maybe there's a gradual, inch by inch shift in that collective conscience.

[PeterJames]

This is amazing...

[DrunkenMonkey]

I don't generally condone PETA's methods or tactics, although I do generally support their cause. While I don't agree with them on every issue (I'm not vegan or even vegetarian), I think they do expose some pretty horrifying instances of animal abuse. Stunts like the ones listed in the OP are merely ploys to draw attention to their true causes. Of course PETA do not believe sheep are insulted by profanity. But it's a good way to draw attention to their much larger anti-wool campaign. That may turn a lot of people off of their message, but they feel like planting that seed in the collective conscience does more harm than good. It's how they remain relevant, and by remaining relevant, they feel people may start to ask themselves some uncomfortable questions. And then maybe there's a gradual, inch by inch shift in that collective conscience.

I also agree with some of their goals re: the way livestock are often treated. But how can they expect to be taken seriously when they do this sort of thing?

[tmac77]

If PETA is correct in that some sheep may understand English would they be able to testify? That would be bad news for a number of lonely sheep herders.

[wabashcr]

I also agree with some of their goals re: the way livestock are often treated. But how can they expect to be taken seriously when they do this sort of thing?

I'm not sure it's about them being taken seriously, as much as it is just raising and publicizing the issues, and relying on people having that introspective moment where they realize that, while they despise PETA and their methods, maybe they do feel some sense of injustice about how animals are treated.

Whether this is effective or not is certainly debatable. They clearly seem to think it's the best way to make their point. They apparently believe in their cause enough that they don't mind being seen as fools, radicals, clowns, etc. In a strange way I respect someone who stands so strongly for their beliefs, even if I don't agree with their actions.

[earthson]

The human race as a whole has a long way to go when it comes to respecting animals (not to mention each other!!), but zealots do more harm than good for their cause.

[Fuzz]

From my perspective, this just makes me ignore their message. When a group goes off the deep end and pulls stunts like this, they lose respectability. What makes them think I would want to listen to what they have to say now or into the future?

They're turning into another whackjob fringe group.

[leftimatic]

I just can't put my confidence or money towards something so ridiculous. Yes there are a lot of bad things happening and IMO a lot bigger fish to fry than swearing at or around a f$%^ing sheep or hurting a chicken feelings with a bar sign.

I would suspect that most sheep would appreciate the grooming. And yes I also think the guy doing the grooming should take care and not scar the hell out the animal. Neglecting sheep I would think would be far more cruel.

[srbbones]

Next up: let animals vote!

It just goes from crazy to crazier to craziest to crazazy....

Give 'em an inch they take a mule (to the voting booth)

[wabashcr]

From my perspective, this just makes me ignore their message. When a group goes off the deep end and pulls stunts like this, they lose respectability. What makes them think I would want to listen to what they have to say now or into the future?

They're turning into another whackjob fringe group.

I don't think they really care if you or I listen to their message, or if we think they're whackjobs. We know what their general message is, right? Whenever I see them in the news, there's a chance that I do take even the smallest amount of time to consider the issue of animal cruelty. I don't need them to tell me how to feel about animal cruelty. If I think about it enough, my conscience tells me how I feel. I think that's what they're hoping. It obviously doesn't have that effect on everyone. I'm sure they understand many people can't get past their antics.

[Fuzz]

It's one thing to hope you get some people to think on their own, but if you want to affect real change, you need to get the message out to the wider audience. If they pull nothing but stupid stunts to get attention, the majority will just ignore them. And when a serious issue arises that needs attention, it will be ignored as just another crazy PETA story.

How do you expect people, corporations and governments to take you seriously? What's next? Sunglasses for free-range chickens to prevent blindness?

[leftimatic]

It's one thing to hope you get some people to think on their own, but if you want to affect real change, you need to get the message out to the wider audience. If they pull nothing but stupid stunts to get attention, the majority will just ignore them. And when a serious issue arises that needs attention, it will be ignored as just another crazy PETA story.

How do you expect people, corporations and governments to take you seriously? What's next? Sunglasses for free-range chickens to prevent blindness?

Kind of explains the disgruntled relationships most people have with religion and politics. We know it's there but choose to ignore it.

I know imposing beliefs never really made sense or worked for me. Give me something substantial to chew on and stew about and you might get my attention.

[Quint]

Dog gone it if this isn't the cats meow, what a bunch of jackasses. Next time I'll have to get a birds eye view of the situation to see if we're dealing with a bunch of rats over there. As the saying goes its hard to fly like an eagle when surrounded by turkeys. And to have a wolf in sheeps clothing taking video of the flock. I hope they just flipped PETA the dolphin and went on about their business.

[mikemerry]

I'm charging birds with vandalism for shitting on my deck!!!!....... Side note, everyone's heard the old farmer in the barn with a sheep story.... Maybe he was just talking dirty, getting things going!

[Ken Gargett]

I don't think they really care if you or I listen to their message, or if we think they're whackjobs. We know what their general message is, right? Whenever I see them in the news, there's a chance that I do take even the smallest amount of time to consider the issue of animal cruelty. I don't need them to tell me how to feel about animal cruelty. If I think about it enough, my conscience tells me how I feel. I think that's what they're hoping. It obviously doesn't have that effect on everyone. I'm sure they understand many people can't get past their antics.

and i think this is the problem with this. i do think that they don't understand - re their antics.

i agree that there is much in their cause that is important and worthy but by coming out as such utter whackjobs, they turn people away.

we might all (or some of us, at least) want to support certain causes but who wants to associate with morons.

it is a bit like green politics in this country. at the heart of their cause is something really incredibly important but they go on with so much nonsense (not to mention seem to think that they have the answer to every non-green problem) that many people who would be otherwise attracted to their cause and message run a mile.

i have long been a strong supporter of sea shepherd (as our more veteran members would know) but if an imbecilic fruitcake like sarah hanson-young ever got involved, i'd be gone for good.

[DrunkenMonkey]

I'm not sure it's about them being taken seriously, as much as it is just raising and publicizing the issues, and relying on people having that introspective moment where they realize that, while they despise PETA and their methods, maybe they do feel some sense of injustice about how animals are treated.

Whether this is effective or not is certainly debatable. They clearly seem to think it's the best way to make their point. They apparently believe in their cause enough that they don't mind being seen as fools, radicals, clowns, etc. In a strange way I respect someone who stands so strongly for their beliefs, even if I don't agree with their actions.

But it's like me being upset because my neighbor mistreats his dog, and so I report him for not keeping his lawn short enough. It just makes no sense.

[Ken Gargett]

I'm all for the ethical treatment of animals. However I find it hard to take anyone seriously who would rather see harm come to a human before any animal. And my guess is that a vast majority of these activists feel this way. It's a non starter for me and these people automatically get tuned out. It's too bad too because animal rights are an important issue and they deserve an intelligent and sane voice.

i understand that - and while i am not in any way at all, wanting this to turn into the usual gun/hunting thread - and as a generalisation, i am not talking about those who track/hunt/fish/etc for sustenance, if someone goes out to slaughter an animal for their own pleasure then i am strongly for the animal. much much rather see it come out alive than the human.

[garbandz]

People Eating Tasty Animals.............that's My branch of PETA.........

Sounds like yours should be changed to PITA.............