Friday, June 24, 2011

“THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY IT TREATS IT’S ANIMALS” (GANDHI)

As a young boy I was taken to Calderpark Zoo and had a great time for most of the day until I visited the Polar Bear section, there standing on a rock was a quite magnificent Polar Bear staring back at those of us who had gathered to stare at him; we kids were amused by him as he swayed from right to left in big movements while staying on the same spot. A couple of hours later; I don't know why but I went back to see him before leaving the Zoo for home and there he was still swaying back and forth just as he had been 2 hours previously. I asked the keeper why he was doing that and he told me that he was completely crazy and demented and he did this every day from morning to night and had been doing it for years, this was the result of unending years of captivity he explained, he is an animal which in the wild has a habitat of hundreds of miles and was now confined to a few hundred yards around a fetid pool with junk food floating around it. My brothers and me resolved to come back and break in and release him, we never did of course but I have never forgotten that day and that poor demented wild animal and that was approx. 55 years ago.

I saw Monkeys; Lions; Tigers and many other species all of whom seemed to accept their fate as they lay in the sun staring back at the visitors but; the Polar Bear instinctively made me want to set them all free, a feeling which to this day has never left me. Some 35 or so years after this I wandered out with my dog to have a look round the Circus which was pitched up near my home at St. James's Park this Circus had one Elephant which slept in a covered trailer which afforded it about a metre of space around it and lions which were kept chained in a circle behind a fence which restricted their movement to a few feet, I found it difficult to stand and watch these quite magnificent creatures being treated like this for our amusement that is why yesterday was a great day.

Yesterday the House of Commons banned Circuses from using animals; ending hundreds of years of cruelty which we are all guilty of tolerating; not in a conscious sense because it is a cause which has snowballed in recent years making everyone more aware of what had been going on and making us think more about it and ask if it is justified. Even the Circus owners would argue and still do that they are not cruel to their animals and I have some sympathy with Circus people who have lived this way for generations and most of them do indeed love their animals but more and more the world is realizing that keeping such animals in these conditions is indeed cruel whether knowingly or not and now thank God it will stop.

As always with the House of Commons a mystery arose, it would appear that the Government decided to go to some strange lengths to defeat the bill, turning what was a free vote into a three line whip and threatening Tory MP's with all sorts if they supported it. Enthusiastic hunter and shooter of wild animals Prime Minister Cameron was apparently behind these failed tactics but people now are asking the question why? Why did he go out on a limb against a bill which was so popular, will we ever know?

Animal cruelty still goes on here and in other countries, Bear Baiting, Bull Fighting, Dolphins and Killer Whales in pools and big game hunting is still rife, all for our amusement and all to feed the most voracious beasts of all, Capitalism and the great God money. All of it needs to be stopped; cruelty for profit is not acceptable we are after all human beings are we not? I look forward to the day when these cruel practices are confined to history and all animals return to the wild where they belong. All too late alas for that poor beautiful Calderpark Polar Bear.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Parliament did not ban it, as you claim. Without a Bill, they couldn't, so it will not automatically become law.

Dont know much about politics, do you, Terry?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... on 24/06/11

I can only conclude that you are a sad; pathetic individual.

Anonymous said...

Assuming you have one. when are you releasing your dog into the wild? Millions of them are kept in captivity, in houses.

i suppose you make it give you a paw for food, roll over, beg you to take it out etc etc etc

Hypocrite.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... at 11:54

Having written this Blog for about 6 years this is easily the most mind numbing and predictable comment ever.

Well done you win the cigar for being the first half wit to compare a domestic pet like a dog to a Polar Bear or Lion held in captivity in a Circus or Zoo. You really must be some kind of idiot.

Anonymous said...

'Sad?? Pathetic?? Because I pointed out that you had it wrong?

Just as the workings of Parliament are a mystery to you, so the workings of the Kelly brain are beyond the ken of ordinary mortals.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... at 14:44

“'Sad?? Pathetic??”

Absolutely, and embarrassingly obvious judging by just how dull-witted your remarks are in your attempt to score a point. I think people who read the post would understand perfectly well what I was saying.

Anonymous said...

Terry doesn't see the connection of 'bred in captivity' polar bears and 'bred in captivity' other animals. Such as dogs, birds, fish etc.

What's the difference Terry, do explain.

Anonymous said...

What's the problem, little man? You said Parliament had banned wild animals appearing in the circus... they haven't. You lied and got caught...live with it.

David Duff said...

Well, only 'E' for Effort, Councillor, because in your report you couldn't quite bring yourself to acknowledge the political bravery of the Tory MP who committed 'hara kiri' by denouncing not only the whips but the prime minister's office as well.

Tell us, do you take out your anti-Tory hatred at night and give it a polish?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By David Duff on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS...

As usual you don’t make much sense, my report as you call it was written 3 days before the vote in the commons and I did not know who was moving the thing nor did I care but; if it helps control your paranoia I salute the Tory MP who did it.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... on 25/06/11

I really don’t see the point in explaining, I’m quite happy to let readers decide for themselves if there is a difference between keeping a Pet Dog or keeping a Pet Polar bear. It’s quite difficult to find a more ridiculous argument than yours.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... on 25/06/11

“You lied”

I have tried and I can’t come up with a reason as to why I would lie about such a thing, perhaps you could help by explaining it to us.

David Duff said...

With all the respect you deserve, Councillor, your post is dated Friday June 24th, the day after the debate.

Even so, well done for praising Mark Pritchard MP.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

With all the respect you deserve Mr. Duff the post I am referring to was printed on Friday June 17th. 2011 and was headed :-

“A ROBIN REDBREAST IN A CAGE - PUTS ALL HEAVEN IN A RAGE” (AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE) WILLIAM BLAKE.

David Duff said...

You are free to comment on any post you please, Councillor, but normally, that is, in the rest of 'blogdom', comments tend to refer to the post above. My specific comment obviously referred to the post above, hence my remark concerning your failure to mention a Tory MP.

Now, what's next? Are you, perhaps, thinking of referring to a post you wrote 6 weeks ago - 6 months ago - or, even as far back as the last Labour government?

Anonymous said...

No, Councillor, I really dont know why you lied. The great Sigmund Freud would have a problem explaining your addiction to lying and I am but his humble disciple.

Is it congenital, as with your idiocy?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

What else can I do but print this nonsense.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By David Duff on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS... at 17:27

For goodness sake can you not for once just once admit you got it wrong, I’m sure you would feel better about yourself, you didn’t follow the argument properly, is it really that difficult?

Thornavis said...

I love reading the comments section of this blog, it's like a cross between a Marx Bros. skit and a bear garden, am I allowed to say that ?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Thornavis on “THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS...

If you enjoy these exchanges you would just love Renfrewshire Council meetings. Today we saw the SNP/Libdem coalition justify taking free travel away from people with learning difficulties while supporting a hand out to commission a feasibility study into a statue of William Wallace.

I bow to no man in my appreciation of the Marx Brothers but not even the great Groucho at his most surreal could have come up with that one. The only thing missing was their Jackboots.