For years, I've wondered, "Just what is PETA anyhow?" I happened to see the back of this book first, and once it caught my eye, it didn't take long to find that the Rabbit-Man is none other than Dan Mathews, a VP at PETA. The book is Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir.
Dan is a master of getting attention. Of course, since just about day one in school, it was usually attention of the unpleasant kind. His schoolmates had him pegged for a "fag" long before he adopted the label. Now he's almost as active in gay rights as he is for animal rights. But he took the lemon and made lemonade. He's had a couple decades to hone his craft, which now consists of three steps:
- Attempt a civil approach with a target person or organization, whether Calvin Klein or KFC. This is usually fruitless.
- Subject a number of said target's employees, including the CEO or other honcho when possible, to an amusing, outrageous slice of Hell for a short period (minutes, hours, sometimes days). This sometimes prompts a change of direction...or at least of things said about direction.
- In rare cases, someone like Calvin Klein will send a message, "Why didn't you just ask to see me?" and the answer is, "We really, really tried with [documented] results." The ensuing sit-down usually gets the best results.
However, institutions and important people are often very, very insulated. It can take a lot to get their attention. Getting attention is what Dan Mathews does best. Whether posing as a big rabbit, or carrot, or as a priest, in formal dress or none whatever, he gets attention.
I've been quite put off for years by the PETA tactics. Now I understand a little better. Almost by happenstance, PETA performed two "actions" on behalf of a Harvard class. First, they did a version of "I'd rather wear nothing than furs". That got Dan and one or two others arrested for indecent exposure. Then, taking one student's suggestion, they had a much more civil demonstration. The first event was seen by millions; the second, by scarcely a dozen. The students got the point.
It is a pity such tactics are required, just to get someone to sit still to hear a complaint. In the face of some real, and really dangerous, fanatics out there, PETA is actually rather innocuous. They are also useful. We need our gadflies, our finger-pointers, our loud 'voice of conscience' activists, to give civilization at least a ghost of a chance at being truly civil.
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