Imagine a country that has no recreational activities to enjoy. Imagine a leader who refuses to allow his people to wear certain clothes or eat certain foods or participate in certain activities - not because they are harmful and not because banning them is in the people's best interest, but because his opinion of those perfectly legal things is harmful. Does it sound like I'm alluding to Iran or China or some country controlled by the Taliban? Does it sound like an evil dictator is out there oppressing a group of people from getting out and having a pleasurable time in their hectic lives? There is, but the alarming thing is that this is being done right here in our country.
The truth is that there's evil afoot, and it comes in the name of a domestic terrorist group called PETA. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Now by reading the groups' names, one would assume that they stand for animal rights. It is a misleading assumption. Perhaps that is why they gain support from actors and entertainers who are oblivious to what they stand for. Why does anyone care what these entertainers think anyway? They all live inside a plastic bubble that protects them from the rest of us. Unfortunately, these people in the public eye don't do any investigation before they put their name or stamp on something.
Perhaps PETA stands for protecting abused animals, and maybe they are vegetarians opposed to eating meat or consuming dairy. You know, peacefully protest pets' euthanization and maybe sit-in demonstrations at a Rodeo or Circus. Most of us can relate and even respect their decision to do this. However, this organization has proven it will go to extremes to prevent others from enjoying the freedoms of being an American. Why? Because they don't think you should be allowed to do perfectly legal things that they oppose. They are infringing on your rights as an American to make choices.
PETA's goal is to impose their will to prevent you from eating meat, bringing your children to the Zoo, and enjoying all American activities such as fishing and hunting. They don't feel you have the right to do these things and will attack those who oppose at all costs.
Imagine walking down the street with your wife only to be doused in red paint. Why??? Because your wife was wearing a fur hat. PETA openly participates in vandalizing and ruining fur products. How about going to a circus and seeing a stuffed tiger with its head in a noose. That will leave a lasting impression on the children. PETA has no problem with scaring the kids. It sends a message. Imagine going to a major fishing tournament and having someone in a fish suit hand out comic books to little children entitled "Your Dad is a bloodthirsty murderer, and he loves killing animals," complete with a violent, horrific cartoon on the cover.
That's where I draw the line. Get my children involved and try to turn them against me, and you might find yourself looking down the business end of a 12-gauge. Now that's not politically correct, but I'm willing to go to extremes too, especially when you want to come into my house and get personal with my family. Tugging at the heartstrings of a fragile child can be damaging.
Now it is time that we, as fishermen, stand up and do something about this terrorist group. We have waited too long and ignored them, hoping they would go away. Now it is time to fire the first salvo back against PETA. Unfortunately, these people aren't reasonable; they want to infringe on our rights and don't think twice about getting our children involved. That being said, this will likely not be a peaceful battle, and it shouldn't be. The only way to get rid of rats is to bring in a cat to exterminate them. Could you get rid of them once and for all?
I have always believed that if I didn't like what was on TV, I had the freedom to change the channel so I wouldn't have to watch. I do not impose my will to prevent those less desirable shows from being in the programming. If you don't like fishing, hunting, trapping, breeding animals, eating meat, wearing fur, don't participate in doing any of them. It is your right. But when you tell me I can't do something legal merely because you don't believe in it, I'll bring the fight to your kitchen, and I'm not leaving until I break all the dishes. We, as bass anglers, should get involved and end this terrorism once and for all.
I recently visited the PETA website. It is a friendly, wholesome site that explains the rationale behind being a vegetarian, not wearing fur, or abusing animals. They even have recipes and activities for children. Nowhere can you find any information about the organized terrorist acts against citizens of our country that PETA takes part in. It was strange that I didn't see that comic book anywhere either. Do you think even PETA realizes they went too far and that if many of their logically thinking members got wind of it, they might reconsider their membership?
