PETA (aka. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) found a new way to promote their message. Calling the program TeachKind, the organization now indoctrinates children as young as kindergartners. Apparently, they think it takes a barnyard to raise a child. It’s another liberal organization telling parents showing parents how to raise their children. Wait a minute. That’s not quite right either. PETA circumvents the parents completely through the conduit of teachers. Yes, the Dems/Libs know better than Mom and Dad how these future citizens should be raised — by a village, by a barnyard . . . by them.
I am known by those close to me as an animal lover. If the truth be told, I lean more towards PETA than this blog would sanction. You may have noticed Big Dog call me a tree hugger at times. “Mixed” or “necessary evil” would describe my feelings towards animal testing for medical purposes. I find it unacceptable to subject animals to testing for cosmetic purposes. So, it may surprise some that I oppose this organization and their new indoctrination technique.
The insidious nature of their methods raises red flags. The organization offers free courses of study to beleaguered and overworked teachers from K-12. Essentially, they give teachers a break on their work load under the guise of animal-friendly education. If it was just animal-friendly education, this post would not exist. Such is not the case.
Hidden within these courses are age-appropriate introductions to PETA’s agenda. It’s a “get them while they’re young and impressionable” philosophy. One lesson plan even discourages children from drinking milk. To reinforce this message, FNC reports they offer trading cards called “Don’t Be a Milk Sucker.” Parents, if little Suzie comes home from school one day and refuses to drink the milk which helps grow strong bones and says she learned that at school, blame PETA. If the organization has its way, mothers may be breastfeeding their young until they graduate high school. Maybe PETA thinks that’s more humane.
Many of the lesson plans center around becoming a vegetarian or, ideally, a vegan. For those unfamiliar with the difference, a vegan eats only plant products — no milk, cheese, eggs or butter. In fact, PETA’s Web site for children also offer T-shirts with the slogan “Fish are Our Friends, Not Food.” Parents, you can forget about those fish stick and the healthy Omega 3 oils. So what if Omega 3 has proven to be good for the heart, the brain, fight depression and help calm hyperactive children? We must respect a fish’s unalienable right to live a full and healthy life!
Some of the lesson plans have good, sound messages for children. Being kind to animals is a good thing. Learning the importance of spaying or neutering a pet can only help improve the abandoned and homeless pet situation. Every child should learn to be a responsible pet owner (or companion, in PETA’s terms). The organization also accurately points out that many violent offenders begin by abusing animals and claims their curriculum may help to reduce the number headed down this violent path. Of course, no studies support this contention — which is an assumption based on the fact that PETA offers no such data.
(By the way, has anyone actually ever met a vegetarian that looks healthy? I’m not even talking vegan here. In my circles, I have met a few vegetarians. Some are way too thin; some are considerably overweight; and, all have a strange pallor about them. )
If an adult decides on a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle for his/her family, that’s certain his or her prerogative. But to have a child wake from a nightmare where the lambs are screaming or reject a fish stick for fear Nemo was sacrificed, that’s just plain wrong! Woe to the unsuspecting parent dealing with this crisis.
The PETA methodology reflects a dangerous trend. Many liberals think they know how best to raise “our” children. To these socialist hiding behind liberal masks, parent have become, at best, superfluous and, at worst, an impediment to the child’s successful future. They want to determine our children’s intellectual education, sexual education, religious (or lack there of) education, right to abort . . . and, now, what they eat and drink. Yes, it’s becoming a brave new world out there.