People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is famous for its public displays designed to shock and sometimes disgust people (here and here and here). However, PETA appears a bit thin skinned this week with legal attacks on critics who accused the organization of killing animals in a Virginia shelter. PETA reportedly is asking a court to give it the personal information, email addresses, phone numbers, and other data for three bloggers who reacted to an April 2 posting by a no-kill shelter advocate. One of the bloggers called PETA “animal Kevorkians.”
PETA has refused to discuss its efforts.
Articles have accused PETA of killing roughly 90 percent of stray dogs and cats at a Virginia facility. Critics insist PETA is not open or honest on its kill policy with donors.
I have been unable to see any of the alleged PETA filings or any response from the organization on these allegations. I find it troubling to see public interest organizations going after critics. PETA thrives on free speech and often engages in speech that many find troubling. Yet, we all defend their right to do so even if we criticize their tactics. I would be interested in seeing the filings if they are public and anyone has run across them.
Source: NY Post
As the concept of dignity and civil discourse and personal responsibility has obviously left the building, it is prolly a good thing that most of our fathers are dead.
This is not the sewers of Facebook.
It is a blog written by someone who purports to seriousness.
Why any serious person would wish to contribute to the dumbing down of humanity is most peculiar.
My dad fought in the South Pacific so adults can be free to conduct themselves like shameless empty-headed chimps?
Apparently so.
Welcome to the bottom of the barrel.
BTW Charlton – My identity was ‘outed’ here 7 months ago – and still the comments ‘outing’ me remain at the top of the comment page.
So, I guess that rule is also not written in stone.
Terry,
Professor Turley provides an open forum. He does not dictate content, no matter how inane. The few basic rules are that ‘outing’ another user’s real identity or making credible threats of violence against persons or property are likely to get you shown the door.
Junior High School pie fights are silly and unseemly, but if someone wants to make themselves look foolish, they can. As he points out in the header to the bios of the weekend bloggers, whoever writes something, owns it.
Dr. Turley provides the pen and paper, not the ideas or how they are expressed.
Professor Jonathan Turley is a nationally recognized legal scholar who has written extensively in areas ranging from constitutional law to legal theory to tort law.
And yet he is reduced to conducting displays of behavior suitable for 12 year old girls bitch-slapping each other in the school bathroom.
How the mighty do fall.
Jack,
Sometimes things are not always as they seem.
Xn+1 = (αXn+b) mod m
excuse me, “I hope you know”
This is exactly what you get when you dare criticize PeTA. Everything degenerates into the gutter.
I apologize once again, Professor Turley and thank you for at least giving me a chance to speak.
As for my stalkers, I hope you now that when you hide behind multiple anonymous identities in order to spew your filth that you really have no credibility to begin with.
Tomorrow we will discuss the lawsuit PETA filed in NY against Huffington Post to chill free speech, in detail, and why it was frivolous. Hope you comment Pig Pen! We will also discuss PETA’s exploitation of women, fat shaming, hypocrisy etc.
I think you are. While music is a great art form, posting random videos is not relevant to the abuse of the legal system and animals that PETA does. So to reiterate….
@jetson409
You state: “I am not claiming anything. I raised a question with a possible scenario explaining why a lawsuit may not have been necessary. If some or all of your statements were found to be defamatory or questionable and you recanted in writing ( a written statement for example made through the attorneys outside the courts) your comments would have been removed by Huff and a lawsuit would be avoided.”
No one cares about your irrelevant lay person speculation. The facts are that PETA filed a frivolous LAWSUIT in NY against Huffington Post (to further clog the overburdened court system) and then issued a subpoena seeking the identity of posters. PETA then dismissed their frivolous lawsuit as they likely didn’t want to be on the hook for Huffington Post’s court costs or face a malicious prosecution lawsuit by Huffington Post.
So many trolls, so little time…
@Really Enjoying this, Actually
You state, “For the rest of you, the [PETA] legal action- a subpoena for information, not a lawsuit seeking damages- was in part to limit defamation which is not protected under the Constitution…But the [New York] case- which was highlighted in Ingrid Newkirk’s blog- was also about limiting cyber bullying, stalking and harassment.”
You are clearly not an attorney. A subpoena is NOT a lawsuit or “legal action.” It is part of the discovery process in a lawsuit, and a subpoena can only be enforced if there is an underlying lawsuit pending. Period. And a legal action need not always seek money damages. Further, the shortlived PETA lawsuit in NY against the Huffington Post (in which they issued a subpoena seeking the identities of persons who posted negative comments about PETA) was about chilling freedom of speech, i.e., scaring the public from making comments adverse to Peta online. If the PETA lawsuit was actually about limiting cyber bullying and defamation as you absurdly purport, PETA would not have dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice but would have pursued it.
@Randy DeCarlo
You assert that “Lucy” is a “cyber thug.” Yet Lucy has no pending defamation lawsuits and judgments against her like you do per public record. Also, we are all waiting for your 10 gazillion dollar lawsuit against the world.
@jetson409
You state: “I am not claiming anything. I raised a question with a possible scenario explaining why a lawsuit may not have been necessary. If some or all of your statements were found to be defamatory or questionable and you recanted in writing ( a written statement for example made through the attorneys outside the courts) your comments would have been removed by Huff and a lawsuit would be avoided.”
No one cares about your irrelevant lay person speculation. The facts are that PETA filed a frivolous LAWSUIT in NY against Huffington Post (to further clog the overburdened court system) and then issued a subpoena seeking the identity of posters. PETA then dismissed their frivolous lawsuit as they likely didn’t want to be on the hook for Huffington Post’s court costs or face a malicious prosecution lawsuit by Huffington Post.
@Pig Pen
You state: “The reason PeTa subpoenaed Huff is because you stated your irrational beliefs as facts. Therefore your beliefs are entirely the topic.” No Ward, I mean Pig Pen, no rational attorney would file a lawsuit because their client was displeased with others posting alleged “irrational beliefs” about the client. See my response to your friend Actually Enjoying This, Actually. It’s still a free country and people can post irrational beliefs without fear of incurring civil liability. In fact, you’re posting nonsense right now. Though when you post against a multimillion dollar corp like PETA, you may have to fear a frivolous lawsuit aimed at chilling the right to free speech. Also Pig Pen, if PETA was so fabulous why do you post a multitude of unsupported, pointless and unnecessarily insulting comments mostly aimed at denigrating Lucy and Marilyn. Though so like PETA you are, judging women on externals. And re your comment calling Marilyn a “crone.” Go read some Mary Daly. Crone or hag is actually a good word for women with knowledge but maligned by the patriarchy which you clearly are a slave to like the rest of your flock.
@Pig Pen again:
You also state: “Lucy any lawyer can issue a subpoena and in a civil case a judge doesn’t even review it. Look it up on your internet. So sorry you made such an utter fool of yourself once again spouting nonsense as if it were fact and then ridiculing others who were in fact correct! Really I am! (HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA)”
Yes Pig Pen, any lawyer can “issue” a subpoena (I’ll spare the technicalities however, as you are not worth it). However, without an underlying lawsuit, there is no court to enforce it and it is worthless. Perhaps you should consult with an attorney or go to law school as you so desire to prove to the world you know how to lawyer.
Trying to shut down the comments Pig Pen and Charley???
God I love Charleton’s eccentric taste in vids!