Penn & Teller on PETA & Activists: Shows Extremism & Hyprocrisy

A recent emailer to VOCM's BackTalk site sent in this link of the comedy team of Penn & Teller, who presents amazing video footage of PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, and other activists, actually saying the extreme things we read about.It shows the hyprocrisy of PETA, and proof of its financial support for convicted arsonist Rodney Coronado. Click Here

(contains some offensive language)

This appears to have been made in 2005.

PETA-philes Have No Business Here

When a major issue resonates with Newfoundlanders, we seem to come together in harmony to voice our passion. In the past 15 months, it has happened at least four times. First, when Margaret Wente of the Globe and Mail decided to use Newfoundland as a punching bag during the Atlantic Accord flag flap, we punched back with 1000's of emails, letters, and phone calls giving her a piece of our collective minds. In a trend that looks like an annual event, a year later, Bill Lankhoff of the Toronto Sun, lashes out at Newfoundland and our olympic gold medal curling team. Then a true annual event/fundraiser, the seal hunt protest, Newfoundlanders show support for Danny William's defence of the seal hunt when on the Jerry Springer, I mean Larry King show with Heather & Paul. Now, an outcry has helped Costco reverse it's "business" decision to put seal oil capsules back on the shelf.

Newfoundlanders are a very passionate and thoughtful people, but when our image is intentionally being slandered by malicious people, then we defend and demand justice. The vibe that an issue strikes is palpable in the general populace. Even though we do not have a large population in our province the passion of the protest is high, and shows that we do as a whole have alot of power. Many people, about 3000 signed online petitions, supported a boycott of Costco if the seal oil capsules were not put back on the shelves. So we can make a difference. Paul Watson's gang, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), are ripping mad about this because they claimed to have directly influenced Costco in their decision. My condolences Paul, but it seems that Costco does not want, or no longer wants, to be associated with a lying bunch of media manipulating PETA-philes. SSCS, the Humane Society of the U.S. & PETA, have used false statements, used celebrities, and used a racist type of slander to attempt to paint Newfoundlanders like the sadistic hillbillies from the movie Deliverance. ..."Costco has decided that they would rather support men who viciously club helpless baby seals... ". Here's another example of image-eliciting words used by Watson's group: "... the ignorantly-cruel seal killers have taken their boats into the Gulf in an effort to shoot every seal in sight...".

Apparantly messages like these do influence some "civil" people. One reader, mdalton, sent MacLean's this online message: "I think the seal hunt is barbaric and inhumane. It seems that a small group of people with a lack of intelligence feel that clubbing seals or spiking them over the head is a rewarding way to make money."

Well mdalton, you have to understand that the seal hunters are in a bit of a dilemma. They likely grew up working in an industry, fishing or sealing, that required a specific navigational intuitiveness, and a physical aptitude to work in a physical occupation. Thus, they may be currently “under-educated” for the modern age we live in. On the other hand, because of their education levels, they are over-qualified to be a seal hunt protester, which truly requires ignorance, a deceptive and uncivil personality. However, with some brainwashing lessons from the sensei himself, Paul Watson, I’m sure they can learn to lie about facts, and be prejudice towards people.

A recent caller to Bill Rowe's Backtalk show, could listen no more to what anti-sealing protestors had to say. She described working in a cattle slaughterhouse elsewhere in Canada, and said that the seal fishery was as humane, if not more, than animal slaughter in regular abbatoirs. Describing it as never a pretty business, "I was up to my knees in blood every day ... if you do the same thing to a cow on the ice, and it will look ten times worse." So people involved in animal rights really ought to take their protest to places that really do need to implement humane practises, and while they're there, stop using lies to raise money. Just go there and try and be constructive. As long as groups like PETA fabricate facts about Newfoundland and its people, there will never be a place for them here.

Costco Seal Oil Removal: Coincidence or Politically Influenced

Costco regularly pulls items of the shelf that don't sell well, but why choose this time to take down seal omega3 oil capsules? They were approached by one of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's (SSCS) volunteers, Stephen Thompson of Vancouver, just recently, so it is a bit suspicious that they would not wait till all the media hype surrounding the hunt, died down. If there were no other information connecting Costco or its board of directors to such an interest, then I would not question it. But Paul Watson's web site infers that the action of their people is what influenced Costco to remove the capsules.

"After discussions with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Costco's senior management team have decided to remove seal oil capsules from the shelves of their St. John's location"
- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society website news

There is another reason that Costco could have purposely timed the removal of the capsules to coincide with the annual seal protest hype. Stephen Thompson's sell may not have been hard since

"Jim Sinegal, co-founder of Costco, and a prominent US Democrat supporter, has donated to the campaigns of active seal hunt opponents Edward Kennedy, Maria Cantwell, Barbara Boxer, Christopher Dodd and Patty Murray - therefore, an action like this would contribute to the cause of anti-seal political representatives. Democratic Senator Carl Levin has already supported a Canadian seafood boycott."
- (See Sen. Carl Levin on Resolution 33 from the HSUS web site)

In addition, Jeff Brotman, co-founder of Costco and also a prominent US Democrat supporter, has in the past donated to Sen. Carl Levin (behind Senate Resolution 33 condemning the Canadian seal hunt as cruel) and also Patty Murray. These senators have political connections to the Costco board of directors.

So these connections alone make you think that removing the seal omega3 oil capsules, when the animal rights activists would be doing one of their most popular fundraising drives, i.e., protesting the seal hunt, was more than just coincidence. I am sure that from a business point of view, Costco has every right to remove any product they deem to be not worth the trouble keeping. However, the political affiliations mentioned above makes me doubt that the timing of this move is purely coincidental, but rather politically influenced. If this is actually the case, then Costco should know that in time to come Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) group will eventually betray Costco's trust. Costco may not know it but the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's mission is to stop fishing, period. So that includes many other fish species and products. PETA and the Humane Society of the U.S. want stores like Costco to get rid of all meat, fish, leather, and animal derived products.

It would be ironic if Costco is supporting extremist people like Watson, Ingrid Newkirk of PETA, and dangerous offenders like, Dr. Jerry Vlasak - extremists that hate people and businesses that sell meat, fish, and leather, or labs that use animals to find cures. This is one of many shocking quotes from Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA, that is typical of their extremist views:

"Even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we'd be against it.
- Ingrid Newkirk, President, PETA (Vogue, September, 1989).

There is a greater chance that Pamela Anderson will be given an oscar for playing Mother Teresa in her next movie, than Costco ever getting rid of all it's fish, meat and leather products. But animal rights groups could eventually turn on them to do just that. So for now it looks like Costco is a friend of animal rights groups, but they are really the enemy.

Like other Newfoundlanders I want our seal hunt to be as humane as it can be, so any constructive suggestions from credible and valid organizations like the Candian Veterinary Medical Association and the Independent Veteranarian's Working Group on the Canadian Seal Hunt to improve it should be heeded. Like any other animal industry this one has the potential to grow by using seals for a variety of meat and oil products. Since the 1960's regulations have been continually updated to improve the methods and efficiency of the hunt, so Newfoundlanders can take some comfort in knowing that, and hopefully stores like Costco will too.

Cheques, Lies & Videotape: The Truth on Seal Hunt Protest Groups

Public deception is a strategy animal rights groups use to get the publics moral and financial support. Just as businesses look forward to the Christmas season, the most profitable time of year, animal rights groups look forward to the seal hunt each season. They probably don't actually want it to stop because money must really roll in when celebrities and images of white coat seals are shown on tv. The hunting of white coats has been illegal since 1987. They rely upon presumed ignorance to deliver false information. This is in line with Paul Watson's media manipulation philosophy. Watson is a member of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In his 1993 book, Earthforce: An Earth Warrior's Guide to Strategy, he said,

"If you don't know an answer, a fact, a statistic, then ... make it up on the spot." - Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

He justifies this approach by saying that,

"for the mass-media today - the truth is irrevelant." - Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

That's not only deceitful, but insulting to the public. Let's face it, the average person is probably too busy to spend time researching the myths and realities of the seal hunt. As well, people have shorter attention spans, so they want quick concise information. Well, a cute picture of a white coat seal pup, will save a thousand words, and make millions of dollars for animal rights groups. In the past several weeks, the McCartneys, Bridget Bardot and others have either been duped into, or have shamelessly misinformed the public about the seal hunt and Newfoundlanders. Since the word "barbaric" is used on the PETA web site, it is not surprising Heather Mills-McCartney, a PETA member, used it when describing how people conduct the hunt. I wonder if Heather was aware that the president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, said,

"PETA's publicity formula -- eighty percent outrage, ten percent each of celebrity and truth." - Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA (The New Yorker, 2003)

Did the McCartneys know that under Newkirk, PETA has donated tens of thousands of dollars to convicted arsonists and other violent criminals, and the extremist group ALF, Animal Liberation Front (animalscam.com)?

While PETA leaders promote animal rights, when it comes to actual human rights, they are not so sympathetic. Take for example, Dan Mathews, vice-president of PETA. In 2000, he declared his admiration for the man who shot and killed Gianni Versace.

When asked who is the most important man he loves of the 20th century, he replied, "Andrew Cunanum, because he got Versace to stop selling fur." - Dan Mathews, vice-president of PETA (December/January, 1999 issue of Genre Magazine)

Paul Watson, at an animal rights convention condoned violence when he said,

"There's nothing wrong with being a terrorist as long as you win. Then you write the history." - Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
(Sierra Club board member Paul Watson, at the Animal Rights 2002 convention

Watson also lied to Norwegian officials when he said his ship was rammed, when in fact video footage showed that his vessel did the ramming (High North Alliance). So before people start sending cheques to these groups, they should know who theyre dealing with.

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (also, see CBC side link) has listed myths and realities of the seal hunt for anyone to see. It says the seal population has more than tripled since the 1970s, no subsidies are given to sealers, the hunt is both humane and efficient, and killing white coats is actually illegal. So when Bridget Bardots press conference showed video images of white coats being killed, she and the animal rights groups are depending on peoples ignorance to convey false information. It's an old method but the public may be finally seeing through this poor acting and old script. Of the $113 million in assets the Humane Society of the US has accumulated (activistcash.com), HSUS raises enough money to finance animal shelters in every single state, with money to spare, yet it does not operate a single one anywhere.

For people like Watson, Newkirk and Mathews, anything goes when it comes to getting publicity, including violence and fudging the facts. Rather than their support growing, their continued used of lies just speak of desperation. With the public exposure of the phony boycott (see the Centre for Consumer Freedom website) and other fabrications, people will think twice before supporting groups who think that the truth is irrelevant.