WASHINGTON, DC: Criticism of a move from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been growing steam after the world's leading animal rights organization announced it would protest New York-based fashion designer Donna Karan, who is hosting a dinner event in honor of First Lady Michelle Obama. The popular Karan is no friend to PETA and has been widely criticized by the animal rights community and PETA for her continued use of fur in her designs. The protest, PETA has made abundantly clear, is directed at Karan and not the First Lady, who has been an outspoken champion of faux fur. “The First Lady has compassionately chosen to leave fur out of her wardrobe and we hope Donna Karan will follow her lead and leave her out of her designs,” said Ashley Byrne, a Senior Campaigner for PETA, in a statement to reporters. Statistics show that some 28 million animals are used worldwide for fur annually, with the vast majority being mink. In one mink coat, between 30 and 70 animals are slaughtered and killed. However, the coverage of the protest has been largely aggressive against the animal rights group, with major outlets calling on PETA to “use caution” and have largely interviewed only those against PETA campaigns. “Their tactics are rarely tactful and once again PETA is stirring the pot,” wrote the first line in an NBC news article. Later in the same article from one of America's same news organization, quotes from “average” citizens attempt to show anger and angst toward PETA. Khoreece Mendoza of Pelham, The Bronx, thinks that “its fine to stand up for what you believe in but to impose your thoughts on somebody else in that regard in that sort of matter, I think its inappropriate.” However, here in Washington, media expert Ryan Jackson, who has worked in public think tanks across the capitol, told Bikya Masr that the media is attempting to portray PETA as if they are imposing something. “When the media doesn't agree with someone or some group, they show it as forcing their beliefs on people,” he began. “If we look at it from a different perspective, it is actually the media who are imposing a certain view on the protest: that killing animals and wearing fur is okay and that PETA are radical. This may or may not be the case, but it shows how the media can use its position to influence people.” Jackson, who said he doesn't wear fur but does wear leather and eat meat, continued to say that “everyday we are barraged with meat in commercials and billboards, so for people to say PETA is imposing a certain view is ridiculous and bad reporting.” BM
