Punching for PETA
Ultimate Fighting champion Mac Danzig has become a spokesman for peta2, which describes itself as the world's largest youth animal rights organization.
"I don't eat animals because I don't want to contribute to their suffering -- it's that simple," Danzig says in ad for the junior PETA group. "Do yourself a favor, do the planet a favor, and help end animal abuse. Go veg."
The ad, which is available in both print and video versions, can be viewed at peta2.com or by clicking here.
"Animals on factory farms and in slaughterhouses don't have a fighting chance," says Danzig, 27, who became the latest season's Ultimate Fighting champion after pounding and choking his opponent into submission.
I don't want to get on PETA's bad side, and I certainly don't want to get on Mac Danzig's bad side -- he appears to be one tough vegan -- but isn't there a wee bit of hypocrisy here, i.e. beating the crap out of humans in the ring (willing participants though they may be), then urging the world to eschew meat because of the violence involved in bringing it to the table?
Comments
You want hypocrisy? How about PETA killing thousands of adoptable puppies and kittens every year because the group takes in $30 million annually but it's too cheap to shelter them. See www.PETAkillsAnimals.com for the grisly truth.
Posted by: Sally Gregoire | January 2, 2008 10:11 PM
John,
Just a quick correction from someone who follows mixed martial arts: Danzig won this season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality show and tournament put on by UFC. He is not, however, the welterweight champion. That would be Matt Serra, whose injury recently led to George St. Pierre winning an interim title.
Posted by: dpg | January 2, 2008 10:21 PM
No, there is no hypocrisy here. Two participants using their FREE WILL to fight each other is the exact opposite of the animals on factory farms who have NO FREE WILL whatsoever. We all know the animals would never CHOOSE the horribly sad existence we force upon them. The only hypocrisy is that we wish to see ourselves as compassionate people and yet we participate in great suffering so we can selfishly satisfy our taste buds. Please go to MEAT dot ORG if you would like to understand more. Go Mac!!
Posted by: Libra | January 2, 2008 11:09 PM
"I don't want to get on PETA's bad side, and I certainly don't want to get on Mac Danzig's bad side -- he appears to be one tough vegan -- but isn't there a wee bit of hypocrisy here, i.e. beating the crap out of humans in the ring (willing participants though they may be), then urging the world to eschew meat because of the violence involved in bringing it to the table?"
Nope, not the slightest, given the ethically crucial distinction made clear in your parenthetical remark.
Posted by: Mike Klein | January 3, 2008 12:22 PM
I agree with the other posters that there is no hypocrisy, and the reasons why have already been given. I don't eat them anymore, either, thanks in large part to information made public by PETA, who I am thankful for!
Posted by: Linda | January 3, 2008 7:18 PM
I'd have to ask a few pointed questions about who is really behind "PetaKillsAnimals.com." They look suspiciously like meat or fur lobbyists to me. Having said that, there have been more than a few suspicious rumblings in the mainstream press about PETA's actions with respect to their "rescued" dogs and cats. Those need to be carefully scrutinized by somebody who's objective. I'm not sure that's the case with the operators of the website.
Posted by: Anne | January 4, 2008 12:37 AM