Posted on 02/25/2002 9:20:07 PM PST by GOV'T MULE
When a car driven by two People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) activists hit a deer in New Jersey last November, PeTA saw red.
As a result of that accident, PeTA has faxed a notice to Bob McDowell, director of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, and John Bradway, chairman of the New Jersey Fish and Game Council, making them aware of PeTA’s intent to sue them over of the accident.
PeTA claims that the accident--as well as thousands more that take place every year--was “ … caused by the state’s mismanagement of the deer population, which includes purposely increasing the size of the state’s deer herd in order to provide more live targets for hunters and so jeopardizes the well-being of people who use the roads.”
PeTA says that by placing the interests of hunters, who it says amount to barely more than 1 percent of New Jersey’s population, above the safety of the more than 8 million New Jersey residents and countless out-of-state travelers who use the roads, wildlife agencies are violating the state’s constitutional mandate to provide protection and security to its people.
A copy of PeTA’s letter to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife can be viewed at: http://www.peta.org/news/NewsItem.asp?id=685.
They actually BELIEVE this????????? I knew this was a bunch of bozo's, but man.....this is unbelievable.
These people oppose managing the deer population!! (kill some when there are too many)
February 14, 2002
Bob McDowell, Director
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
P.O. Box 400
Trenton, NJ 08625-0400
Dear Mr. McDowell:
Pursuant to New Jersey state law, this will serve as notice that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Dan Shannon, and Jay Kelly each reserves the right to bring an action for damages and/or injuries sustained in an automobile crash on November 16, 2001. Shortly before 1 o’clock in the morning on that date, 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. The collision occurred at or near mile marker 15.4 in Woolwich Township, Gloucester County. Damage to the car was severe, resulting in a repair bill that exceeded $6,000.00 and loss of use of the car for nearly two months. The total amount of damages is, as yet, unknown.
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 for the purpose of enhancing hunting opportunities and license revenues. The result, as was the case here, is a significant number of auto-deer collisions each year, causing significant injuries and property damage.
The New Jersey State Constitution expressly mandates that the government’s responsibility is the protection, security, and benefit of the people. The state’s deer management program effectively places recreational interests over safety interests, thereby violating the obligations of the government to, above all, act in the best interests of public safety. The constitution further ensures the rights of persons to enjoy and defend their rights to, among other things, life, property, and safety. The deer management program, which exists only for recreational and economic interests, inherently threatens those rights the state constitution guarantees, and is, therefore, unlawful.
Please send any notices to the address listed on this letterhead. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Matthew Penzer
Legal Counsel
Now isnt that what they would do?
They either know NOTHING about the animals they claim to love, or they conveniently leave out facts hoping the ignorant public will join their bandwagon.
Deer in the middle of November often run around like mad, in fact this is the time of year you hear about deer crashing into buildings in town where they normally are never seen, or attacking people who are minding their own business. Does regularly run across roads in front of cars to try and elude the harassment of the bucks who are anticipating them being ready to breed. It's much more likely the fault of a DEER that the deer was killed by the speck of a car these people were driving. Maybe they should have bought an SUV then they wouldn't have sustained so much damage.
And another thing, why didn't they honk the horn or put those deer alert thingees on their car if they are so concerned about hitting one?
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