The organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has once again fired a shot at the Iditarod. Nothing new in that. But this time they did some damage. They've inflicted financial hardship, riled up Alaska's U.S. senators and sent the Transportation Security Administration, an erstwhile Iditarod sponsor, scurrying for the nearest departure gate.
Now, it's easy to take shots at PETA. The outfit asks for it. We won't here. It's too easy. We believe in fair chase. The fish you shoot in a barrel just doesn't grill up right, not like the one you snag with a treble hook ... Sorry, couldn't resist.
PETA is being a pain, but that's just being PETA.
What we really wonder about is the TSA's role here. Bet Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano never imagined that defending Americans from terror would include a dispute over the TSA's sponsorship of a sled dog race in Alaska.
Many of the rest of us might never have imagined it, either. Let's see, TSA ponies up 100 grand or so to participate in the race. Wait -- this is a federal agency, right? Tax dollars, security surcharges. Why is it spending that money to sponsor private events?
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