Welcome to the World of PETA

So I've talked a bit about PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I'm sure you've heard of them before, whether it was a celebrity driven ad campaign against eating meat or a protester throwing red paint on a fur wearing pedestrian, PETA has stayed in the public eye. But who are the people behind the movement? Who are the people holding picket signs on the side of the street? After speaking with Jamie, a 22 year old PETA member from Canada, it appears they may not be that different after all.

Jamie has been aware of PETA since she was 14, when she first became a vegetarian however she never thought she would be an active member.


"I became a vegetarian after I heard a member of my favorite punk band say he was vegetarian... I was young." Jamie admits.


However what started as a trend quickly turned into a lifestyle. "I really got into it. I started slowly by just cutting out chicken, then moved on to no meat at all, then I dropped dairy products. I was living at home at the time, so it made meals with my family such a bitch. I can't tell you how many times I fought with my mother over dinner."

Jamie found out fast that being vegetarian was more then a few dietary choices as she became interested in PETA. Browsing their website one day she found a link to a PETA starter kit. Within a week the kit arrived at her house and Jamie became hooked.

"Of course I was younger, you could say I was impressionable, but the way they
presented information made sense."

That Fall Jamie left for college and joined an organization on campus which were supporters of PETA. "I was away from home (Jamie went to college in Canada) and it was a great way to bond with people over a common goal. I showed the PETA videos, of pig slaughterings and the inhumane ways livestock are treated, to friends and roommates all in an attempt to turn them onto the cause. Even when people didn't want to watch the videos I'd spew out facts to shock them. I was kind of intense."

Jamie's strong stance on vegetarianism didn't distance as many people as you may think. As she made new friends Jamie became even more involved in the cause, even attending a rally in downtown Toronto. "It was surreal. There were only about 50 people there but it was strange to be a part of something like that. The police ended up coming about 20 minutes into it and threatened us to stay off of the streets and not to crowd the sidewalk. I got scared and left in about an hour."

Jamie hasn't attended another rally since. "I kind of realized there are other ways to support a cause. I'm still interested in PETA and still involved on campus but I don't attend a lot of the large public events." Jamie thinks there's a better way to show the positive side of going vegetarian. "Like anything in life, networking. Telling and showing your friends, family, and coworkers that vegetarian options are easily assessable and taste pretty similar, is just as effective, if not more, then yelling at strangers on the street. So while I still support those groups, I've just learned that being more reserved can accomplish the same goals."

While Jamie used to represent a more liberal and outgoing stance on vegetarianism, she is now more conservative in expressing her opinions. Yet her insight to the movement shows that both sides of the spectrum, both vocal and quiet, can produce a positive result. Jamie continues to follow a vegetarian lifestyle in Canada.