Anyone walking near Wells Hall this week was greeted with a large display that placed images of slavery side by side images of animals in cages, as if to say the two are equally disturbing.

The exhibit was put on by the animal rights advocacy group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA.

PETA representatives said the purpose of the exhibit wasn't to suggest that human rights violations and animal cruelty are equal, but that's not the message that comes across.

A quick glance at the exhibit would lead one to believe that PETA thinks putting chickens in cages is just as cruel as human slavery, a premise that is both ridiculous and offensive.

Rather than trying to sway popular opinion by explaining who they are and what they stand for, PETA far too often relies on trying to shock people into adopting its beliefs.

PETA's approach only serves to turn people away from its cause. The display shown at Wells Hall is just as likely to offend those passing by as it is to interest them in the organization.

The exhibit at Wells Hall isn't the only campaign PETA has used to try force its opinions on the public.

The group has used similar exhibits. One equated animal cruelty with the Holocaust. Another placed campaign members in vegetable costumes, holding signs that say "eat your veggies, not your friends."

It almost seems as if the group's goal is to not be taken seriously.

Other animal rights groups, such as the Humane Society of the United States, avoid PETA's over-the-top approach and are held in a much more serious light.

It would serve PETA well to gain a better understanding of its audience. College students aren't going to see the display and want to become involved.

They're just going to see the misguided exhibit and keep on walking, brushing PETA off as an organization that's far too fanatical to be legitimate.