PETA, the PITA

I recently watched I Am An Animal: the story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA. Well, I'll be honest. I half-watched it. After a while, I felt I got the picture and the picture was nasty.

I watched it because I've never understood PETA. I know they're a controversial group and I've seen video footage of them going too far (in my opinion), but I wanted to really understand their perspective. And, I didn't want to read a book in order to do so.

The video had some disturbing footage, but that was to be expected because their goal is to keep animals from getting mistreated and killed. I made sure I was in the correct frame of mind to watch abuse and then I made sure there was daylight outside when I sat down to enjoy the DVD.

Another reason I wanted to watch the DVD and understand more about PETA was because I'm a big, ol' animal hypocrite. I think animals exist for their own reasons and we should try our hardest to live life in a manner that doesn't infringe upon their freedoms. I think they should be treated with some respect and compassion. Which is why I have a slight problem with housepets.

But, I also think animals taste delicious. (Some of them, anyway.) And, I struggle with this. (Some of the time, anyway.)

Mostly, I don't think it's a big deal to eat animals. They're living things. Okay. So are plants and I'm not about to stop eating them. They have feelings. Okay. I happen to think plants have something akin to feelings, too. Or at least, they also act within whatever energy paradigm feelings operate within. I think that's why certain types of music helps their growth and certain types hinder their growth. (No, they're not sentient beings, but hopefully you get my drift.)

So, I wanted to see what PETA had to say about animals in order to help prompt my return to vegetarianism. Or not.

The result: there will be no change in my diet. I just don't see the point, as I do my best to be appreciative of the animals whose lives make my meals tastier and I seek out more humane meat markets. I also try not to eat a lot of meat.

But, another unexpected result: my self-talk on this issue has become gentler.

See, I like to walk my talk. I know that thinking all animals should be free to roam the Earth as they see fit and we should treat them with respect and thinking that I like to eat them may seem incongruous. But, I've decided that it's not, because I truly appreciate the animals whose bodies become part of mine. I thank them for their energy and respect the fact that a life was taken to enhance mine.

Maybe that will make no sense to some people, but it makes sense to me. Eating meat is not out of alignment with who I am right now.

I've always made a practice of thanking the farmers, plants, animals, Earth, and Sun when I eat. I teach my kids to practice this acknowledgment and appreciation. And, I think that doing so keeps the energy in our foods clear.

I won't kill an animal for sport. I think that's pretty morbid. I don't even like to kill insects when I can help it.

And so I do appreciate PETA's efforts. There are some despicable practices going on in our world with regard to animals. I'm very happy organizations like PETA exist.

I'm also very happy frog legs taste like chicken.