PETA: Make Meat Eaters Pay Bigger Premiums

[Family Ties Forever!]

Imo, it looks like PETA is overstepping bounds again.

link

PETA: Make Meat Eaters Pay Bigger Premiums
Animals Rights Group Approaches Blue Cross Blue Shield

Posted: 7:11 am CST November 14, 2008

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont to raise health insurance premiums for people who eat meat and lower the premiums for vegetarians, Plattsburgh, Vt., television station WPTZ reported.

Video: Charge Meat Eaters More?

In a letter sent Monday to Bill Milnes Jr., president of Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Vermont, PETA Executive Director Tracy Reiman urged Blue Cross to raise rates on meat eaters because, she said, heart disease, diabetes and other leading killer diseases have been conclusively linked to the consumption of meat and other animal products.

"Given the latest news about the effects of E. coli on meat-eaters -- and the mountain of evidence linking meat consumption to some of our nation's deadliest diseases -- this change will benefit Blue Cross Blue Shield's bottom line while also helping to ensure that your policyholders don't flat line," Reiman wrote.

Reiman went on to point to recent reports of an E. coli outbreak in Vermont. In October, a Vermont slaughterhouse recalled a ton of ground beef after 10 cases of E. coli were traced to meat from Vermont Livestock Slaughter & Processing in Ferrisburg. The recall was voluntary.

Earlier in the month, three people were diagnosed with E. coli in Orleans County. Health officials attributed those cases to raw milk as the source.

"As you might know, E. Coli grows in the intestines of many farmed animals. Slaughterhouses are filthy places, and when animals are eviscerated, feces often spray in every direction," Reiman wrote.

She goes on to claim that vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes and obesity.

"By giving your policy holders a financial incentive to go vegetarian -- and penalizing those whose meat-based diets fuel our nation's worst health problems -- Blue Cross Blue Shield could save millions of dollars in the long run," Reiman wrote.

But it doesn't appear that Blue Cross will be taking PETA's suggestion any time soon.

"Under Vermont law, we would not be allowed to vary rates based on the dietary and nutritional habits of various members," said Kevin Goddard, Blue Cross's vice president of external affairs. He said that Blue Cross is always looking to have the healthiest members possible, but "we have no information one way or the other if vegetarians are more healthy."

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in its ice cream instead of cow milk.

"We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," a representative for Ben & Jerry's said at the time.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting.

[Hollow]

yeah, cut some slack for those who lavish their bodies with junk food and alcohol. meat is the only thing that can ruin anyone's health.

note to PETA - quit trying to enforce your pussified standards on the economy. you fail at life.

[Yooch]

PETA is an organization of f****** idiots, and if not downright disturbing, utterly laughable and pathetic.

[Big C]

Only the Oakland Raiders are a more pathetic-looking organization than PETA.

[littlebelle]

Hey guys, slow down. PETA is NOT some pathetic organization filled with a bunch of "f***ing idiots". It's a great organization with great intentions in mind; giving a voice to those without voices. Unfortunately, in the type of society that we live in, you pretty much have to forceful to get your voice heard, and the only way to be get your voice heard is through money. I do agree that some of their tactics are borderline, but they're just trying to get their point across. I'm not a vegetarian, I love steak, but I do care about animal rights and I give props to a corporation that's main goal is to care about animals.

[Yooch]

I happen to love animals; I don't even kill spiders, for God's sake, but this PETA organization really is borderline--psychotic that is.

[littlebelle]

Well that's good, I was just hoping you guys weren't against animal rights or something!

[Yooch]

Not at all. In fact, on Election Day, here in California, our state Prop.2--I voted yes on that, which called for treating farm animals humanely, so they, for example, wouldn't be in crowded, filthy conditions in tiny cages where they couldn't move around or turn around and stretch--just so the farmers could make more profit.

There are all kinds of links on PETA, but to make a long story short--if you do a search on PETA you will find that their zeal and outrageous stunts to gain attention just turn off people.

I read a few years ago where PETA objected to some race car driver drinking a glass of milk after winning a race (apparently a tradition). PETA, it seems, objected on two counts: First, the mere fact that the driver was drinking milk was offensive to them. Secondly, car racing is a sport (in their mind) populated by men of Northern European descent, and they supposedly have the enzyme to digest milk, so they were being somehow racist toward Blacks, Hispanics and Asians--who do not have this enzyme and can therefore not digest milk. I don't have the details and I don't know whether I'm totally accurate in my details, (maybe another SO member knows the story better than I) but that was basically it.

That's why I reacted the way I did. I just think it's so bizarre.

[Brad Russ]

Meat eaters: Make fanatical Peta members shut the **** up!!

[Big C]

Meat eaters: Make Peta shut the **** up

I love meat, and I hate the way PETA makes meat-eaters sound like monsters!

You aren't always what you eat!

[Brad Russ]

Originally Posted by FSU

I love meat, and I hate the way PETA makes meat-eaters sound like monsters!

You aren't always what you eat!

Exactly! Most of our ancestors going back thousands of years were meat eaters. I just got done eating a big hamburger for dinner, and have absolutely no remorse. Some animals were put on this earth for our consumption, and it's nothing to be ashamed of, despite what many over the top animal activists try to make us think.

[InspectorExstead]

uh....no. peta keeps trying to push the line farther & farther & it's just not looking good for them.

[Brad Russ]

Generally speaking I love what PETA does. It's those cuckoo members that try to take their cause to the extreme who drive me crazy.

[Yooch]

Originally Posted by FSU

Only the Oakland Raiders are a more pathetic-looking organization than PETA.

At least PETA can plead the 'insanity defense'. The Raiders can't plead any defense, but mostly no offense either!

[InspectorExstead]

Originally Posted by Little Mel

Generally speaking I love what PETA does. It's those cuckoo members that try to take their cause to the extreme who drive me crazy.

i agree. don't get me wrong; i'm glad that they are very passionate about the animals & want to help them. i was a vegetarian for a very long time & can relate. but as with any group, there's always those extremists who go above & beyond & just drive everyone crazy, while giving the others in the group a bad name.