~LifeLostSoul

These are the five myths about PETA I hear most often. I have included links to the facts so that people can see for themselves that these myths aren't true...

1. MYTH: PETA lies about how healthy the vegan diet is.

FACT: PETA is simply quoting the scientific facts that have been gathered by scientists and presented to the public by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The scientific research has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the vegan diet is perfectly healthy for every age and stage of life. The ADA is neutral. Their job is to find the facts on nutrition and present them to the public, and in fact they never say one diet is better than any other. Go here to read info about the vegan and vegetarian diet from the ADA...[link]

2. MYTH: PETA is Anti-Jewish and their "Holocaust On Your Plate" campaign proves that.

FACT:Being Jewish, this one bothers me the most. The comparison between Holocaust victims and animals that are slaughtered for food was not made by PETA. It was first made by Issac Singer, a Jewish Holocaust survivor. It has been used many times, and not just by PETA. I don't think I need to point out the fact that Issac Singer would obviously not be Anti-Jewish. His own grandson is a supporter of "Holocaust On Your Plate" and so are other Holocaust survivors. Read more about this campaign here...[link]

3. MYTH: PETA is too extreme because they tell people that vegans can't eat honey.

FACT:By factual definintion, a vegan is someone who doesn't eat or use ANY animal products...and that includes honey. If you eat honey, the fact is that you aren't vegan. This isn't extreme nor is it labelling....it's a simple fact. Go here for the definition of vegan...[link]

4. MYTH: PETA believes that people shouldn't own pets.
FACT:This, in part, is true. We believe that you shouldn't own pets. We believe that you should adopt and rescue companion animals. Calling your companion animal your pet is the same as calling your African-American friend your slave. Buying your companion animal from a pet store is the same as buying a slave off the auction block. But PETA has never said; "Don't adopt/rescue companion animals." Read more about companion animal issues here...[link]

5. MYTH: PETA doesn't care about humans.

FACT:This myth makes me very angry. The fact is that PETA works to protect the rights of ALL members of the animal kingdom, both non-human and human. Ingrid Newkirk herself explained this in an interview on Salon.com....

"How do you respond to people who claim PETA cares about animals at the expense of caring about humans?"

"I'd like them to give us one example. A group is set up to care about homeless people -- it would be like accusing them of caring more about homeless people than orphans. That's their mandate. Our mandate is to care about and make heard the voice of the largest group of victims in the history of the world, encompassing 9 billion animals killed a year just for food in this country -- not counting all the animals in entertainment, the elephants chained behind circuses, the animals with electrodes in their heads in the laboratories.

Our perspective is that if anyone says that, they can't point to a single incident in which we care more about one animal, human or other. Secondly, vegetarianism is a diet that stops people from getting heart disease, cancer and stroke. Veganism is a diet that stops children from getting ear infections and colic. Vivisection is wasting money that could go to a birth defects registry instead of to addicting monkey mothers to cocaine. There isn't anything we do that doesn't benefit us as human beings -- we simply have to shift the marketplace to a compassionate lifestyle from a callous lifestyle."

Read the interview in full at...[link]