PETA Wants to Replace Punxsutawney Phil With a Robot

[cathryn]

PETA Wants to Replace Punxsutawney Phil With a Robot Groundhog
Email this| Posted Jan 29th 2010 9:00AM by Michelle Toglia

Filed under: Traditions


Is it time to say goodbye to Phil? Credit: AP
If Punxsutawney Phil, America's favorite Groundhog, sees his shadow on February 2 in Pennsylvania, we're faced with another another six weeks of winter. If he doesn't, then spring is just around the corner. But does the same rule apply if Phil is a robotic groundhog?

That's what animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is demanding. Fed up with the Groundhog Day tradition, which they believe is producing animal cruelty, PETA wrote a letter to Bill Deely, president of The Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, proposing that Phil and other live animals retire from their jobs and be replaced with a non-animal alternative, reports the Los Angeles Times.

PETA thinks an animatronic groundhog would draw in a curious crowd for a more cutting edge event instead one they believe currently prevents the groundhog from yearly hibernation.

In an email to Deely, Gemma Vaugn, PETA's Animals in Entertainment Specialist wrote: "These normally shy animals-who are constantly on alert when they are out of their burrows-become stressed when they are exposed to large, screaming crowds; flashing lights from perhaps hundreds of cameras; and human handling."

Deeley thinks the beloved groundhog, who is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture and placed in a climate-controlled environment, is just fine. He told the Associated Press that the groundhog is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania."

This isn't the first time PETA is pushing for a robot in the place of an animal model. In November, the organization asked the University of Georgia to replace their next bulldog mascot with a robotic one.

Whether technology will take over the weather-predicting groundhog is yet to be seen. For now, we'll enjoy the groundhog's more human-like abilities: Texting.




http://news.holidash.com/2010/01/29/peta...ndhog?icid=main

[pitw]

Just as well as it seems everyone likes electronic gadgets better than other tried and true methods anyway .

[HaMeR]

Doesn't really matter either way. On Feb 2nd there's always 6 weeks of winter left. 

[LORDDAL]

my thought is why dont the people of PETA take the lead and replace themselves with robots first that way if it dont work out no big loss

[Jimmie in Ky]

If more people knew more about the mindset of the majority of PETA members , they would shoot on sight. Or send them to Afghanistan for target practice dummies fo rhte taliban. Any body that were to tell me to my face that my child or grandchild was less important than the animal attacking them would likely join that animal in no short order. Jimmie