'PETA's Alisa Mullins simply says of El Prez: "He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act."'

Really? So enlightened human being shouldn't swat flies, kill mosquitoes or any other parasite bearing insect?

Why does El Reg give voice to these arses?

I'm wondering what animal derived products this pampered western-world living spokesdroid uses?

After all they have a VP who is against using animals for medical science, but is unworried about using the resulting medical breakthroughs. Hypocrites.

Those PETA need professional psychological help, a course of appropriate medication, and (hopefully) a short spell in a rubber room.

So nobody in PETA drives a vehicle (squashed bugs on front of car), cleans their teeth (bacteria), takes antibiotics, or uses that medicated shampoo when they have nits?

I realise the article is tongue in cheek, but they are still a bunch of loons.

I shall resist flaming over the concept of an animal rights group becoming an animal/insect rights group protecting a certain variety of insect that through many years of evolution has gained the ability to breed faster then predators can off them, though i suspect that PETA just want the publicity to try and make themselves appear in the right, as usual, silly peta.

Killing cattle and such for no reason i can understand, one 1cm large fly in a congress hall is really pushing it for an excuse to cry Blue(bottle) murder

Some organization called the People for the Ethical Treatment of Plants and Vegetation (PETPV--pronounced "Pet Peeve") will start harping on celebrities for eating greens or stepping on the grass ("Let the plants grow in peace," they'll say). Next thing you know, we'll all starve to death because we can't eat without offending or killing *something* along the way.

Famous person thwacks insect -> No story generated -> Meeja confusion -> Different famous person asked why no story generated -> Boring response hits Guardian shleb pages -> Cue further meeja confusion over public's yawning face -> Front page meta-article on El Reg -> Profit!

I see your game, Lester!

Should he have called in the SWAT team?

Precisely - and the last time I made that point I was told that there are people who only eat things - such as fruit - that exist to be eaten...

Ah... but do they shit everywhere I ask?

PETA vs Scientology.

Paris, coz she would eat a crab.

"He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Buddha was a human being.

who is President Obama's mentor, Chuck Norris or Mr Myagi? :)

PETA is known for supporting the Liberal progressive movements of the Dems. I am in no way surprised that they would no cry fowl and call for a formal apology from our Socialist, er..... Democratic, president.

...John Prescott isn't president or PM. One good left hook and any annoying insect (or higher annoying life form, protester, journalist etc) will be in trouble.

IT angle to this story? I'm sure someone will bring out a flash game or fly-swat simulator.

PETA? Have they already eradicated animal cruelty so they have nothing important left to do other than comment on trivia?

I swat flies. If they are in the house I give them the chance to leave but if they refuse to comply with the open window, they get bashed. It's acceptable behaviour with police forces, so it must be ok with insects.

" Some organization called the People for the Ethical Treatment of Plants and Vegetation (PETPV--pronounced "Pet Peeve") will start harping on celebrities for eating greens or stepping on the grass ("Let the plants grow in peace," they'll say). Next thing you know, we'll all starve to death because we can't eat without offending or killing *something* along the way."

Chesterton (as usual) was prescient in this field. Here is a paragraph from 'The Napoleon of Notting Hill":

"Then there was the opposite school. There was Mr. Edward Carpenter, who thought we should in a very short time return to Nature, and live simply and slowly as the animals do. And Edward Carpenter was followed by James Pickie, D.D. (of Pocohontas College), who said that men were immensely improved by grazing, or taking their food slowly and continuously, after the manner of cows. And he said that he had, with the most encouraging results, turned city men out on all fours in a field covered with veal cutlets. Then Tolstoy and the Humanitarians said that the world was growing more merciful, and therefore no one would ever desire to kill. And Mr. Mick not only became a vegetarian, but at length declared vegetarianism doomed ("shedding," as he called it finely, "the green blood of the silent animals"), and predicted that men in a better age would live on nothing but salt. And then came the pamphlet from Oregon (where the thing was tried), the pamphlet called "Why should Salt suffer?" and there was more trouble...."

(the 'technical content' here is English Literature, but still likely to require degree-level education...)

Animals certainly have their place ... right next to the mashed potatoes. Flies and mosquitoes find an "expanded" role on the swatter as usual.

Yes, apparently PETA has decided not to repeat the Alicia Silverstone campaign after it led to several incidents of monkeys being spanked.

A few years ago, I worked at an outlet of the natural foods chain "Wild Oats" in the US (since swallowed up by Whole Foods). I had to work alongside some PETA members. These idiots (I would use something MUCH stronger but minors maybe reading) tried to get the meat department shut down. They failed. Those of us working the grocery, deli and meat departments used to annoy them endlessly by chowing down on animal based treats (provided by the dead animal department and cooked up by those of us in the deli). All of those PETA members worked as cashiers and wore their little "Meat is Murder" buttons on their company issued shirts.

Seeing PETA jumping on Obama for using an electric shock fly swatter does not surprise me. They want him to catch the fly and release it somewhere else? What about a mosquito carrying malaria or plague fleas? Sorry PETA, I will stick with the "swap first, ask questions" later method of pest control. To be quite frank, PETA needs to remove themselves from the food chain since they don't understand our part in it (aka pinnacle predator in most areas unless there is something larger and toothier hanging around). I suggest a large fire...

"Precisely - and the last time I made that point I was told that there are people who only eat things - such as fruit - that exist to be eaten...

Ah... but do they shit everywhere I ask?"

Hmm, interesting point from the tree-huggers. Fortunately, many animals exist to be eaten. How the fuck do you thing predators survive? Ever been to the African Savanna and watched a vast herd of wildebeest get attacked by a predator? Maybe a crocodile or a lion?

Fuckwits like PETA's Alisa Mullins should be taken out to the Savanna to spend some time explaining to a lion what being at the top of the food chain is all about.

Oh Petards, how you constantly manage to be the single most irritating pressure group out there.

Except maybe for the anti-womens-rights "mens rights" people.

But worse than the denialists and the creationists.

Nobody likes a bunny fascist.

stopping Lions from killing innocent antelope!

PETA = FAIL

O M Gawd... He just wasted some S E Asian mass murderer by their reckoning.

I have nothing against flies btw. Think of the poo that is going start piling up, due to them being one man short. Will humanity never learn?

The secret service protecting the president should all be fired! What if the fiy was an Al Qudia sleeper fly, send to assassinate the Prez! Shame!

"PETA turning good principals to shit since 1980."

My principal in high school actually was pretty shit, but I don't think PETA had anything to do with it.

We can swat PETA members instead. They are even more annoying than flies, and I bet more satisfying to swat.

Mine's the one with the PETA member swatter in the pocket.

PETA woman to PETA Man (pun intended): We have a black fly down, we have black fly down.

Pass the (joke) ammo.