Earlier this week, my partner in crime Michael d’Estries told you about an Obama fly swat that rocked the world.

Here’s how it went down: during an interview with CNBC, President Obama killed a fly that was buzzing around the set. In response, many news outlets reported that PETA was publicly condemning Barack for his actions. But that’s not really the WHOLE story.

In an effort to bring some clarity to the situation, PETA released a statement saying:

“As we all know, human beings often don’t think before they act. We don’t condemn President Obama for acting on instinct. When the media began contacting us in droves for a statement, we obliged, simply by saying that the president isn’t the Buddha and shouldn’t be expected to do everything right—if not for that, we would not have brought it up. It’s the media who are making a big deal about the fly swat—not PETA. However, we took the opportunity, when asked, to point out that we do offer lots of ways in which to control insects of all kinds without harming them. There is even a chapter in PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk’s book, Making Kind Choices, about how to rid your home of “uninvited guests.” ‘

“We support compassion for all animals, even the most curious, smallest, and least sympathetic animals. We hope that everyone will take inspiration from Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who included insects in his realm of compassion and would stop to move a worm from hot pavement to cool earth.”

I’ll be honest — I’m with PETA on this one.  I mean how else should an organization that defends animals — all animals — react to this sort of incident? What are your thoughts on the story now that you’ve heard both sides? Chime in and share, share, share!