As noted by reader Meredith Kapushion, PETA, an animal rights organization opposed to hunting and the use of animals in medical experiments, is now suing New Jersey for having too many deer calling the burgeoning deer population a threat to "public safety," in large part because a deer wrecked PETA's Honda Civic. Here is an excerpt from the group's letter to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, threatening to sue for over $6,000 in damages:
"Shortly before 1 o'clock in the morning...while driving a Honda Civic belonging to PETA (and while returning from a PETA campaigning tour) southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike, a deer darted out in front of the car and a collision resulted...
"PETA, Mr. Shannon, and Mr. Kelly believe that this collision, which occurred near the start of New Jersey's hunting season, was caused by the state's Department of Environmental Protection Fish and Wildlife Division and the Fish and Game Council as a result of their deer management program, which includes, in certain circumstances, an affirmative effort to increase deer populations. Despite the known dangers an increased deer population poses to motorists in the state, the Division and Council actively assist in increasing the deer population..."
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| Responses:
March 1, 2002 Your excerpt says, "Shortly before 1 o'clock in the morning...while driving a Honda Civic belonging to PETA (and while returning from a PETA campaigning tour) southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike, a deer darted out in front of the car and a collision resulted..." What I want to know is, why was a deer driving one of PETA's Honda Civics? I can understand that PETA might think a deer is intelligent enough to drive a Honda Civic. I can even imagine PETA providing Honda Civics to deer so that they can drive themselves to campaign appearances. (This would also enable the deer to catch frightened humans in their headlights.) But so far as I know, a deer cannot obtain a driver's license in New Jersey. Therefore, the deer must have been driving illegally. So why wasn't the deer arrested? Are the New Jersey State Police now showing favoritism toward deer? Are they, in fact, engaging in reverse cervidian profiling? We must get to the bottom of this! |