I recently "liked" PETA on Facebook. It is a fantastic organization and I am a huge fan of theirs. I've heard on several occasions when I mention something that I read or saw, " PETA is so extreme.", umm... yes, they're extreme because I think it's so much easier for everyone to just not want to see what PETA knows. Because if most people were to really allow themselves to think about how most of the world treats animals, then that may require change and change is hard. I have to say, the more I read and see, the sadder I am becoming that things are very rarely improving for the well being of so many animals. I don't understand why animals seem to have no rights and so often very little respect. PETA has to fight so hard on behalf of them constantly. I guess I naively assumed that others thought the way I do. If for example, an elephant can be tortured and trained to perform on command at a circus, then obviously animals are fully capable of emotion and yet animals are captured, abused and neglected every day as though they are not alive and feel nothing? They are not "ours" to take.
I guess I could justify the humane killing of animals for human survival, but here in the US that is not the case. We do not need to hunt? And really if we were to consider this a sport, then take away the gun and invite the deer to play. I doubt they would.
For more information, join or follow PETA on Twitter or Facebook, you may be shocked at what they know. The videos that they have captured and share may make you think a lot harder about your choices as a human being and consumer. For me, my art is all about teaching children to be aware of animals and to always respect them and treat them with kindness. No more circus paintings for me.
Sometimes I really think we as humans are earth's biggest threat.