Dan Belton ( No Badger Cull ) In Memoriam
Scapegoat
I've written and re-written this description several times now about the proposals for a new badger cull trial. But no amount of me ranting is gonna make any difference. Culling on any scale is morally, financially, and scientifically unjustifiable to any sane, thinking and decent human being. The ' government ' makes a big deal about the suffering of farmers when their herds are slaughtered but they don't care about the farmers, they care about the compensation payments ! Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it true that financially farmers are no worse off if their herd is slaughtered because of TB than they would be normally. The proposals are completely unworkable for any number of reasons, not least because farmers have to pay for the cull. Laughably Caroline Spelman thinks that farmers are going to put the money up front for the whole 4 year cull IN ADVANCE so that they don't pull out in the middle of it ! The claim that these trial culls will be ' science led ' is frankly embarrassing.........
The badger cull trials will involve shooting free running badgers at night, the chances of getting a ' clean ' kill with such a shy, nocturnal and surprisingly quick animal are depressingly small. Even if the culling areas are kept secret ( which apparently these trial areas won't be ) animal lovers, naturalists, scientists, and activists will be out in force to protect badgers. That means decent people will be out there in the darkness with the badgers and the blood thirsty, blood-drunk killers. I know it's not all farmers but it certainly seems to me round my way that a lot of them ENJOY killing and especially ENJOY the distress that it causes people like me. Most of the killing isn't done for any real reason, just for fun. They should be put on a register because of their violent tendencies. Are they gonna care if a few animal lovers get shot on their land, I doubt any of them would end up being prosecuted under this laughing stock of a government.
It's not time to totally despair though ( yet ! ), the decision to cull badgers in Wales was overturned on appeal at the high court and I hope that will happen again not only with these trials but with a wider cull too. The vast majority of this country are opposed to a badger cull and there are some pretty powerful organisations who will challenge it legally, fingers crossed for our stripey friends !
Anyway that's my ' family friendly ' opinion on it, you can probably imagine how I really feel...........as far as I'm concerned cows should be culled to protect badgers, put that in your pipe and smoke it !!!
PS is it a coincidence that these highly unpopular and emotive proposals were released right in the middle of the phone hacking shit-storm ? A good day to bury bad news.........
PPS this was supposed to be my concise version of the description !
Some related links.....
www.badger.org.uk/Content/Home.asp
www.badgersandtb.com/index.html
www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/07/19/next-steps-to-tackle-bov...
www.arkive.org/badger/meles-meles/
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/14/david-attenbor...
Scapegoat
I've written and re-written this description several times now about the proposals for a new badger cull trial. But no amount of me ranting is gonna make any difference. Culling on any scale is morally, financially, and scientifically unjustifiable to any sane, thinking and decent human being. The ' government ' makes a big deal about the suffering of farmers when their herds are slaughtered but they don't care about the farmers, they care about the compensation payments ! Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it true that financially farmers are no worse off if their herd is slaughtered because of TB than they would be normally. The proposals are completely unworkable for any number of reasons, not least because farmers have to pay for the cull. Laughably Caroline Spelman thinks that farmers are going to put the money up front for the whole 4 year cull IN ADVANCE so that they don't pull out in the middle of it ! The claim that these trial culls will be ' science led ' is frankly embarrassing.........
The badger cull trials will involve shooting free running badgers at night, the chances of getting a ' clean ' kill with such a shy, nocturnal and surprisingly quick animal are depressingly small. Even if the culling areas are kept secret ( which apparently these trial areas won't be ) animal lovers, naturalists, scientists, and activists will be out in force to protect badgers. That means decent people will be out there in the darkness with the badgers and the blood thirsty, blood-drunk killers. I know it's not all farmers but it certainly seems to me round my way that a lot of them ENJOY killing and especially ENJOY the distress that it causes people like me. Most of the killing isn't done for any real reason, just for fun. They should be put on a register because of their violent tendencies. Are they gonna care if a few animal lovers get shot on their land, I doubt any of them would end up being prosecuted under this laughing stock of a government.
It's not time to totally despair though ( yet ! ), the decision to cull badgers in Wales was overturned on appeal at the high court and I hope that will happen again not only with these trials but with a wider cull too. The vast majority of this country are opposed to a badger cull and there are some pretty powerful organisations who will challenge it legally, fingers crossed for our stripey friends !
Anyway that's my ' family friendly ' opinion on it, you can probably imagine how I really feel...........as far as I'm concerned cows should be culled to protect badgers, put that in your pipe and smoke it !!!
PS is it a coincidence that these highly unpopular and emotive proposals were released right in the middle of the phone hacking shit-storm ? A good day to bury bad news.........
PPS this was supposed to be my concise version of the description !
Some related links.....
www.badger.org.uk/Content/Home.asp
www.badgersandtb.com/index.html
www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/07/19/next-steps-to-tackle-bov...
www.arkive.org/badger/meles-meles/
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/14/david-attenbor...