PETA: Not the Cuddly Organization You Thought.

Article written for the 3rd issue of The Keystone.

This article appears in the Fall 2006 3rd edition of Kutztown University's paper, The Keystone.
Online Here

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When you think of PETA, you would usually think of an organization dedicated to animal rights and liberation, not the destruction of animals that were promised good homes. Would you consider “ethical” as supporting arsonists or curbing research and organizations dedicated to finding a cure for AIDS or cancer? No one wants to see animals harmed or destroyed, but where does the line between activism, hypocrisy and pure stupidity blur?

On June 15th of 2005, two members of PETA, Adria Joy Hinkle, described as being the “Mother Teresa of Animals” by PETA’s president, and Andrew Cook, were arrested while dumping the dead bodies of 18 animals into a supermarket dumpster. Both were charged with 31 felony counts of animal cruelty each. The animals – which were euthanized in the back of a PETA van – had been obtained from a North Carolina animal shelter, where the two arrested promised they would be given to good homes. Thirteen more bodies were found in the back of the van.

Surely this was an isolated incident involving two rogue members of PETA. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Documents filed by PETA in the state of Virginia record the over 10,000 animals between 1998 and 2003 euthanized by the organization. In 2003 alone, PETA euthanized over 85 percent of the animals which it took in. Only 14 percent were given to adoptive homes. The SPCA, in Norfolk, VA., found homes for 73 percent of its animals while the Virginia Beach SPCA adopted out 66 percent.

One would believe that an organization which has an annual budget of over $20 million would be able to either find homes for these animals or at least board them until they could find homes. This is, after all, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals we are talking about. Instead, PETA uses their millions to finance their advertisement, and to buy stocks in such companies as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Denny's and Tyson Foods. They have also supported terrorist groups such as the Earth Liberation Front, who, together with the Animal Liberation Front, have committed over 600 criminal acts accounting for more than $43 million in damages, according to the FBI. It’s anyone’s guess as to how much they spend on euthanizing all of the animals which they say they protect.

Building set ablaze by E.L.F.

According to their site, PETA believes that human suffering is just as much a problem as non-human suffering, since we are all technically animals. They even state this within their FAQ on PETA.org: There are very serious problems in the world that deserve our attention, and cruelty to animals is one of them. We should try to alleviate suffering wherever we can. Helping animals is not any more or less important than helping human beings—they are both important. Animal suffering and human suffering are interconnected. Why, then, was PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk, quoted saying, “…even if animal research resulted in a cure for AIDS, we would be against it.”?

Whether you like it or not, animal research has not only helped human beings in the quest for cures and genetic problems, but without some animal research we would not even be able to save some of our most beloved, four-legged family members in their time of need. To say that suffering throughout the entire animal kingdom is equal whether it is human or non-human suffering, and then attacking such organizations as the March of Dimes, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the American Cancer Society because of its research to end human afflictions is complete hypocrisy.

Calling an organization which condones terrorist acts, the euthanization of homeless animals over adoption and promoted the drinking of beer over milk as “drinking smart” to college aged students ethical is beyond unbelievable. If you truly feel for animal rights and liberation, then I suggest you do what you can to raise awareness about such things as vivisection, factory farms, circus abuse and racing greyhound abuse, as well as other such issues, on your own or by forming your own group. Feeding a hypocritical organization, like PETA, does nothing but help them raise more money to push their jilted agenda.

The Bastardization of Hardcore

This article was written for the second issue of Kutztown University's The Keystone. Unfortunately, some people at the paper thought it only pertained to a certain group and did not think it was worth publishing. I thought otherwise, so here it is.

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Within the past few years, a large craze of “hardcore” bands has swept many a college and high school student and has gone as far as to create, what they believe, is the “scene.” Many of those who believe that bands such as Norma Jean, Underoath or even Slipknot constitute as “hardcore” would be surprised, and most likely reluctant, to find out that they are no where near what true hardcore music is and was.

Hardcore punk, as the full title of the genre goes, was born out of the late 70’s and early 80’s Punk scene with bands such as Black Flag, Minor Threat and Bad Brains laying the groundwork for those to come. All three bands played a new kind of punk. It brought a fresh edge to the underground music scene with its faster, harder and shorter song structure. It was music and feeling at its rawest form, and to those who were part of the revolution, it was more than notes and lyrics.

Stephen Blush, author of American Hardcore: A Tribal History, says “Hardcore was more than music – it became a political and social movement as well. The participants constituted a tribe unto themselves.” This became the true scene of Hardcore to those who experienced it. It was a place for kids to escape the society that they felt shunned them for being different. Blush says, “Lots of f*cked-up kids ‘found themselves’ through Hardcore. Many now say things like, ‘I grew up thinking I was a weirdo, but I met like-minded people and figured out I wasn’t such a freak after all.’ …For some, it served as a valuable social network; for others, it opened a rich musicological mine; but for all involved, Hardcore was a way of life, something that they had to do.”

The Hardcore scene brought people from all walks of life together. “Soon after I became a fixture in the Punk/Hardcore scene of the day, I began to notice something I hadn't witnessed before- complete tolerance…Gay, straight, confused, ethnically diverse or just plain awkward, you would be accepted no matter what, and that always intrigued me,” says Heath C., from Portland, Oregon, who has been involved in the scene since 1985.

Presently, the word “hardcore” is being passed around and slapped on anything that contains heavy guitars, screaming vocals and double bass rolls when none of this describes the actual genre of Hardcore Punk. This doesn’t even hit on the fact that people are describing the way others dress as being “hardcore.” Fashion and the way you look is the last thing the true Hardcore scene is worried about. Hardcore has witnessed a major break down in morals and unity since the heydays with violence and gang mentality taking over and replacing tolerance and making the once inviting clubs, where your average 16-year-old could go on a Friday night and check out his favorite bands, places where he now needs to watch his back if he doesn’t wear the right band shirts.

True Hardcore bands still exist today and are seeing a revival in the scene with veteran bands like One King Down, The Hoods and Slapshot touring and releasing new material. DIY venues are popping up in new places, and more and more people are discovering the roots of Hardcore Punk and all the positive things that came from it.

“To me Hardcore means loyalty, brotherhood, pride, tolerance and the love of a great, aggressive style of music,” says Heath. Hardcore has no place for you to be worrying about how your hair looks or how much eyeliner should be applied to the male face. Hardcore is a way of life and one of the most positive genres of music to have ever existed bringing individuals from all walks of life together to share in something they could all relate to. The next time you visit young ones, check out an old Warzone album or pick up a Gorilla Biscuits record. Those are the roots of the true hardcore scene and without them, the bands that many cherish in the scene now would have
never existed.

The begining of something...

...but I'm not quite sure what. Since I am a writing major and most of the assignments I am given don't really intrigue me all that much, I've decided to start a blog. It will most likely contain all the articles I write for the Keystone -- my college newspaper -- and some various other articles I decide to write.

For now, though, I have nothing and I want to see what this thing would look like with some words and such, so here they are. Check back from time to time to see whats going on in my world and what people or moronic ideas I decide to hate for the week.


-DW