PETA Strikes Again!

One of my faithful correspondents in South Dakota reports the following story, which was confirmed by a Google search:

From: From: [icon of beer mug] SoDak.
To: hammerz at hotmail-dot-com
Subject: PETA Petitions School to Change Name...
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 17:25:43 -0600

Yep, our old pals at PETA are at it again.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/01/07/news/top/doc496507e67d4c0852005061.txt
PETA petitions Spearfish school to change name to Sea Kitten High
By Journal staff

A Northern Hills high school should change its name, according to People for the Ethical Treatment [of Animals].

According to a PETA news release, the animal-rights organization has sent a letter to Spearfish High School principal Steve Morford urging him to change the school name of the school to Sea Kitten High.

The move, according to the release, is to encourage area residents to refer to fish and other marine animals as sea kittens.

"If Spearfish High School became Sea Kitten High and everyone in town starts calling fish 'sea kittens,' fewer of these gentle animals would be violently killed for food, painfully hooked for 'sport,' or cruelly confined to aquariums," PETA's "Save the Sea Kittens" campaign coordinator Ashley Byrne said.

"Schools strive for achievements in academics and sports, so why not add compassion to the list?"

In the letter to Morford, PETA argues that "although sea kittens might not be cute and cuddly, they are smart animals who communicate with each other, show affection, and, most importantly, feel pain."

PETA officials say the suggestion "tongue-in-cheek, which beats a hook in the mouth any day."

Here's their petition...

PETA letter seeks school name change

January 7, 2009
Steve Morford, Principal
Spearfish High School
1725 N. Main St.
Spearfish, SD 57783

Dear Principal Morford

I'm writing to you on behalf of PETA, the world's largest animal rights organization, with more than 2 million members and supporters. In early October, PETA launched its Sea Kitten campaign, which suggests a name-change for fish as a way to promote empathy for them and other marine animals. Today, we're proposing that Spearfish High School adopt a new name to reflect the gentle nature of its current marine namesake.

We're hoping that by calling fish "sea kittens," compassionate people who would never hurt a dog or a cat will realize that fish feel pain and fear, just like furry and winged animals do. In fact, neurobiologists tell us that fish have complex nervous systems that comprehend and respond to pain. Fish communicate and develop relationships with one another, show affection by gently rubbing against other fish, and even grieve when their companions die.

However, when they are dragged from the ocean's depths, sea kittens undergo excruciating decompression, often causing their eyes to pop out and pushing their stomachs out through their mouths. When they are tossed onto ships' decks, many sea kittens slowly suffocate or are crushed to death. This is no way to treat a "kitten."

Most parents would never dream of spending a family weekend torturing kittens, but hooking fish through their mouths and pulling them through the water is just as painful as hooking a cat's mouth and dragging him or her behind a car. We're hoping that this name change will encourage people young and old to start treating these gentle "kittens of the sea" with respect—and show them the kindness that they deserve.

We hope that Spearfish High School will start off the semester right by changing its name to Sea Kitten High School. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Dan Shannon
Assistant Director

Is there any more room in the Meeneesooohtah loony bin for these "people?"