By Megan Prusynski •
February 20, 2009
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently re-launched the ‘McCruelty’ campaign against the fast food giant McDonald’s, saying of their treatment of animals, “I’m hatin’ it.”
The original campaign against McDonald’s was launched in 2000, and after the company worked with PETA to make some basic animal welfare changes, the campaign was withdrawn. Now, PETA says, there are more humane methods of killing animals such as chickens, but McDonald’s won’t use them. Controlled Atmosphere Killing (CAK) would allow chickens in McDonald’s suppliers’ slaughterhouses to die relatively painlessly, but they have refused to consider asking their suppliers to switch to CAK—a move that would cost McDonald’s nothing—and so PETA has unleashed their wrath at McCruelty.com. PETA says:
By Kelly Dunleavy •
September 25, 2008
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has teamed up with X-Files star Gillian Anderson (Agent Scully) to urge celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and Heidi Klum, to boycott designer Giorgio Armani, who they are accusing of going back on his word to stop using fur.
PETA sent letters to a number of celebrities who have worn Armani in the past urging them to boycott the designer. In the letter to Tom Cruise, PETA’s Vice President made particular note of Cruise’s daughter, Suri, saying:
“Please be vigilant about any packages that Armani sends for Suri, as they could include bunny fur from his toddler lines.”
By Gavin Hudson •
July 10, 2008
US Presidential Candidate Barack Obama made it clear again this week that he would not have attended the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing because of concern over China’s policies in Tibet and Sudan. His statements came in response to President Bush’s contrasting decision to attend the opening ceremonies.
However, in recent months, Senator Obama has also expressed some mixed feelings about boycotting the Olympics.
By Adam Bowman •
April 17, 2008
There has been talk recently of boycotting the 2008 Beijing Olympics for any number of valid reasons. Whether it is for the freedom of Tibet, the atrocities in Darfur, or China’s environmental policies.
However, what would be achieved by boycotting the Olympics? Is China going to step back and say, “Whoa… the United States is right. We are all messed up and need to change.” Probably not.
And who are we to tell another country that they aren’t perfect? If the Olympics were here, who would be boycotting our games?
As a child I was led to believe that the Olympics were a coming together of different cultures and nations for the sake of sport and international cooperation. And in fact that WAS part of the basis for reinventing the Olympics in the first place. As the father of modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin once said,
“May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.”
Of course, I grew up and found that most of my dreams and fantasies taught to me by society were pure poppycock. But do all of our childhood misconceptions about the world have to be disproved? I mean, Santa Claus is a given, but what about the concept of peace on earth and goodwill towards man?
