Pedro Martinez was caught on video at a cockfight in the Dominican Republic. The video has since been taken down, but PETA, in light on Michael Vick killing dogs, wants the entire MLB to attend animal sensitivity training. So, is watching a cockfight on the same level as actively engaging in dogfighting? Leave that one to PETA because they probably won’t answer my emails on it.

I originally emailed them in 2005 when the NCAA was clamping down on offensive Indian team names and asked if animal team names were offensive for portraying animals as savages that will tear apart another animal or engage in late hits against their fellow man. PETA responded that names like the South Carolina Gamecocks encourage cockfighting, so they are offensive, but not most names. Here is the original email:

PETA:

The NCAA recently outlawed indian team names in the postseason
tournaments. What about animal team names? Lots of teams are named
after animals like the Michigan Wolverines. Animals are painted as
aggressive savages by these teams. It’s unfair to characterize them
like this when humans are the ones killing animals so they are
savages. What do you think? Can you e-mail me with response, and see
what we can do and see if I can help?

The responce and the email I sent today:

From Chris Garnett, chrisg@peta.org (Feel free to send him an email.)

We don’t believe animal team names are offensive because they show the
animals are majestic and noble. Nicknames like the Gamecocks that
encourage animal fighting are not alright, but nicknames like the Tigers
or whatever are fine in our book.

Chris Garnett | Street Team Coordinator
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
501 Front St.
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-213-8708
ChrisG@peta.org

“Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence
encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
-Elie Weisel

If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the Street Team at

http://www.peta2.com/streetteam

By the way, nice signature G. Only 12 lines.

I emailed Chris a few more times about various things, for example, their “animal liberation” display, which compared African-Americans to monkeys:

And other animals:

None of his responces were funny though, and then he stopped responding at all, so I moved on to Rachel Owen (rachelo@peta2.com)

Here is what I sent her regarding Martinez:

Now that MLB players are always starting cock fights and you are going
to make them attend animal sensitivity courses, don’t you think that
every actor in Hollywood and also every musician and every other
celebrity should attend those courses, too? I know not all of them
abuse animals, but it would still be nice for them to go to the course
just to make sure they don’t. They are also role models along with
MLB players. I mean, think about how bad it would be for
Paris Hilton to watch two cocks fight.

I also read that Michael Vick completed the course, so shouldn’t he be
released from prison now? If he completed the course, wouldn’t that
mean he learned his lessong and will never kill animals again? If the
course doesn’t make people stop hurting animals, then it would be kind
of counterproductive to send the entire MLB there, wouldn’t it? And
if it does stop people from hurting animals, then it would have
rehabbed Vick.