Last night, I watched a terrific interview with one of my heroes, Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA. She was a guest on Bloomberg television’s Night Talk program, and a clip of part of the interview is available here. Like many feminists, I have criticized certain of PETA’s tactics in the past, but I am deeply committed to PETA’s overall goals. PETA and my favorite charity, PCRM, are closely related and share many of the same board members — even though they rarely employ the same tactics to achieve their goals.
Newkirk is the subject of a new HBO documentary, and has a charming book out just this fall, Let’s Have a Dog Party. She gives a great interview on Bloomberg (as hard news vanishes from the airwaves, I find myself watching that cable business channel more and more often), and deftly answers the question of “extremism”. Suffrage wasn’t won in Britain, Newkirk points out, until “extreme” suffragettes chained themselves to parliament railings; slavery wasn’t ended in the United States until one side was willing to take up arms; civil rights did not come to the south without violent confrontation.
Newkirk’s calm, civil, charming call to direct action reminds me of MLK’s famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, where the great minister rebukes his fellow (white) pastors who find his direct action and civil disobedience distasteful. King writes:
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.
Bold mine. Substitute in “speciesism” for racism, and you’ve got a compelling case for PETA’s direct action in confronting the appalling everyday reality of animal cruelty.
May the good Lord give Ingrid Newkirk many wonderful years on this planet, may He strengthen her in her holy work, and may He give her the words and the tools to help all of us see that all of Creation is equally blessed, equally valuable, equally worthy of protection, dignity, and rights.
How lovely to see something posted in the blogosphere supporting Ingrid Newkirk and PETA’s work to improve animals’ lives. I’ll check into getting the Dog Party book–it sounds like a great holiday gift!
PETA’s hard-hitting, successful investigations and campaigns to expose the pain and suffering that animals endure at the hands of people make me want to watch this documentary. Ingrid Newkirk is the driving force behind this savvy organization and I think this will be a fascinating look behind-the-scenes. I hope this documentary encourages us all to look at what we can do to help make the world a more peaceful and safe place for animals. Bravo PETA and Ingrid!
Thank you for such a thoughtful post! I’m a longtime member of PETA, and I’m grateful to them for all of the good work they do and for helping so many people turn their compassion for animals into action.
Ingrid Newkirk is one of my heroes, too. She shakes people out of their complacency with lifestyle choices–such as eating meat and buying products that have been tested on animals–that cause animals extreme suffering. Ingrid makes it easy to live a more compassionate life by giving animal-friendly alternatives to products, actions, and systems that hurt animals, and by encouraging everyone to speak up for those who have no voice.
Heidi, Ramsey, Laura, Lucy — whoever you all are — thanks. But, uh, do try to send your comments from different computers. Three posts from the same IP address is a big red flag, and as your fellow animal rights activist, let me tell you it hurts our cause when you pull that crap. One comment per person please, and vary your language when you do.
I’m torn between two schools of thought
On the one hand - Make sure you reread the Rev. King’s letter, and take careful note of his specific use of “non-violent” as a descriptor. Compare this to PETA’s “wink and a nod” and “Praising by faint damns” attitude towards groups which employ unquestionably violent, if not terrorist tactics, and ask if Rev. King would approve.
On the other hand - if you really believe “A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy,” then PETA doesn’t go far enough…. maybe they should sprout a pair and have the courage of their convictions.
Of course, I have frequently observed that the Red Paint crowd is very big on going after rich old white women in fur coats, but when it comes to biker gangs in leather jackets, they are conspicuously absent.