Chris Christie under fire from PETA for killing a SPIDER in front of fourth graders By Nina Golgowski
PUBLISHED: 22:50 EST, 4 May 2013 | UPDATED: 22:56 EST, 4 May 2013
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is taking heat from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals after he killing a spider on his desk in front of a class of fourth graders.
In a video titled, 'Governor Christie Saves School Children From Spider,' his fearless spider-swatting skills are witnessed to cheers from his daughter, Bridget’s classmates after it caused a commotion on his desk.
He tells the children after delivering it a quick slap by his palm that it's just one of the many perks of being governor.
'Any bugs on your desk you're allowed to kill them and not get in trouble,' he says in the short 26 second video published by the governor's office on Friday.
Though he resisted the urging from one boy to 'staple it,' and perhaps humanely euthanized the arachnid with a quick stomp, PETA reacted less than thrilled.
PETA president Ingrid Newkirk told Talking Points Memo: 'He probably did it without thinking.'
'Some people put the spider outside, but spiders are often scary to people, and that can prevent them from pondering their worth,' she said.
The spider's lost life wasn't the first to raise eyebrows over at PETA.
In 2009 the organization was in an uproar after seeing a video of President Obama swatting a fly during a televised interview.
PETA labelled it an 'executive insect execution.'
Perhaps coming to Christie's defense against PETA on Saturday, a viewer of the video posted to YouTube commented: 'Come to Australia. The spider will hit back. Then take one of those little ones.'
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