People for the Ethical (?) Treatment of Animals

The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It is
Copyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted here
with
permission:

“Ethical” Defined

After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster over
four weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptacle
behind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watched
the occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two people
in the van and found 18 dead dogs in plastic bags in the dumpster,
including puppies; 13 more dead dogs were still in the van. Police say
the van is registered to the headquarters of People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, and
Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsy
performed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed.
Police say PETA has been picking up the animals — alive — from North
Carolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook and
Hinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. In
response to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it’s against
the group’s policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but “that
for some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option than
euthanasia.” (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) …Oops, my mistake: that’s
“Playing God” Defined.

In his author’s notes section, Cassingham had more to say about this
story:

The more I learn about PETA, the less I think of
them. The story of them killing animals isn’t even unusual. According to
PETA’s own filings, in 2004 PETA killed 86.3 percent of the
animals entrusted to its care — a number that’s rising, not falling.
Meanwhile, the SPCA in PETA’s home town (Norfolk, Va.) was able to find
loving homes for 73 percent of the animals put in its care. A shortage of
funds? Nope: last year PETA took in $29 million in tax-exempt donations.
It simply has other priorities for the funds, like funding terrorism
(yes, really). But don’t take my word for it: I got my figures from
http://www.PETAkillsAnimals.com
– and they have copies of PETA’s state and federal filings to back it
up. The bottom line: if you donate money to PETA because you think they
care for and about animals, you need to think some more. PETA literally
yells and screams about how others “kill animals” but this is how
they operate? Pathetic.

And you know what I wonder? PETA’s official count of animals
they kill is 86.3 percent. But if they’re going around picking up
animals, killing them while they drive around and not even giving them a
chance to be adopted, and then destroying the evidence by dumping
the bodies in the trash, are those deaths being reported? My
guess: no. While 86.3 percent is awful, the actual number is probably
much, much higher. How dare they lecture anyone
about the “ethical” treatment of animals!

(This is True is a weekly column featuring
weird-but-true news
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CICT, Intel sign MoU on Broadband Initiative

Here’s some news from my friends over at the Commission on Information and
Communications Technology (CICT). Posting it without comment in the hope
that someone else will chime in

*****************************************************

To increase broadband technology awareness among the key sectors of the
country, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT)
and Intel Microelectronics Philippines Inc. agreed to launch a broadband
initiative program to increase the rate of internet penetration and usage in
rural areas.

CICT Chairman Virgilio L. Peña and Intel Country Manager Ricardo Banaag
recently forged a memorandum of understanding to jointly implement the
initiative, which aims to hasten the availability of affordable wireless
broadband to the general public.

“Our priority is to deploy broadband to remote areas, in public high schools
and local government units. Eventually, broadband will be deployed to other
communities, such as farming,” Peña said.

He added that, considering the topography of the Philippines, wireless
broadband technology would allow the government to reach remote communities,
without having to lay down wires.

Banaag, on the other hand, recalled that Intel has always had a long history
of collaboration with the government, working closely with industry leaders
to provide support, like the People’s PC Initiative.

Initially, a series of seminars and workshops on internationally-adopted
standard frequencies will be conducted. Intel, which has spearheaded the
Asian Broadband Campaign Collaboration Framework programs in such South East
Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, shall take
the lead in facilitating key activities.

CICT shall encourage and promote the broadband initiative in the government,
and both CICT and Intel will conduct and promote activities aimed at raising
PC, internet and broadband awareness and adoption to the general public.