MSNBC takes on PETA and fishing

Carlson may have planned to get PETA on his home turf and tear into them. Instead, he provided PETA a platform to promote its agenda and repeat most of their talking points on national television without an effective defense. He spent most of the interview trying to recover from his opponent's quick jabs, swinging wildly, his back to the ropes.

It's obvious that Carlson was totally unprepared for the controntation, and consequently ended up getting his hat handed to him. Carlson didn't train for the event and probably didn't study his opponent or view videos of earlier PETA confrontations. He seemed confused by their style of fighting. He didn't keep his guard up and let his PETA opponent control the fight.

When Carlson attempted to go on offense a couple times, he was ineffectual. He threw a few weak punches, but failed to connect; each one was easily deflected by his foe. He did an extremely poor job of representing the angler's point of vew, didn't articulate any argument to counter PETA's lies, and couldn't even keep the PETA spokesperson on topic.

Carlson didn't even do a good job of explaining the ethics and morality of fishing as an angler, himself. He started to try to justfiy his actions by saying he didn't (or rarely) kill fish, and anyway he used a barbless hook (I guess to minimize the pain). He floated like a bumblebee and stung like a butterfly. He then wrapped up his case by saying he didn't need to justify his fishing. He might as well have said, "I'm incapable of justifying my fishing." He came across as a selfish individual (mean old fisherman) who inflicted pain on innocent animals for his personal enjoyment. The inferrence viewers might make is that fishing is unjustifiable.

I score this round a decisive knockout for PETA.

The best thing that can be said of this, from an angler's point of view, is that it was on MSNBC, so very few people witnessed the massacre.

Joe

"Rodney Long" <rdlong@charter.net> wrote in message

I would love for someone like that say to me, that fish feel the pain of a hook,, let me put a hook in their mouth,, and they will follow me anywhere I will lead them, just like a ring in a bull's nose.

A fish will pull as hard as he can against that hook, if it hurt, he would not.

Warren ;-)

"John Kerr" <jbkbub@webtv.net> wrote in message

I understand your point Rodney....but when ya put that hook in my mouth, and I think maybe you are goona try and take me home and put me in a fryin' pan....I ain't gonna follow ya around like a bull with a ring in it's nose, no matter how much it hurts! And you can take that to the bank! <grin>

JB