Internet Advertising, Bullfighting and Raptor Persecution.
Forgive the clichéd headline. Whilst it may be overused these days it is a throwback to my watching too many spaghetti westerns so blame Sergio Leone or Clint Eastwood. The other reason for using the line though is that it conforms to the rule of three in rhetoric and speech making. I was taught that when first engaging in public speaking many years ago. That lesson, and many other techniques came to mind when watching and listening to the various TV and Radio programmes commemorating the 50th anniversary of the famous “I Have A Dream” speech made by Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.
Whilst the dream part of the speech has become clichéd by poor imitations over the years who could fail to be moved or energised, as I was, by the closing triplet; “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
The Good the Bad and the Ugly do though sum up three events over three days for me.
The Good
The technological explosion of the internet whilst bringing many benefits has also opened up opportunities for the unscrupulous to advertise animals for trade. From underage animals, banned breeds, illegally imported or endangered species to animals offered in exchange for inanimate objects – online pet advertising is a dangerously unregulated pert market. On Wednesday the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), of which OneKind is a member, launched rigorous, comprehensive Minimum Standards for classified advertising websites that allow animals to be sold. Supported by leaflets and online information and with endorsement by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs the PAAG initiative recognises that internet advertising of animals is not going to go away. But it cannot remain unregulated and PAAG is looking to responsible websites to lead the way. OneKind is encouraging the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations to do the same
The Bad
In London on the same day there was an event outside the Spanish embassy protesting about Bullfighting. Bullfighting takes place in a relatively small number of countries across the world including Spain, Portugal, France and the USA. In February the Spanish House of Representatives approved the passage of a legislative proposal, backed by the pro-bullfighting lobby, to consider protecting bullfighting as an intangible cultural heritage. If this legislation is passed, then even more European public funding will be channelled towards the industry and we could see the current ban in Catalonia and the Canary Islands overturned. A number of charities have joined forces to campaign against this legislation and OneKind is delighted to add its voice of support to the campaign.
The Ugly
On Monday I read of a dead buzzard found in the Herriot of the Moorfoot Hills in the Scottish Borders. When the buzzard originally was found in June the body was badly decomposed and initially looked as if it had been shot. However subsequent tests have led the Police to declare that the buzzard was deliberately poisoned. This is not the first time that raptors have been shot this year, for example a Red Kite was found shot in Leadhills in August and an attempt to poison more raptors was foiled by the discovery of a load of poisoned rabbit in Leadhills in March.
The depressing thing, but also thing that makes me angry, is that raptor poisoning happens again and again. Criminals are continually flouting the Law by such acts and given the Wildlife Law it is entirely appropriate to label the perpetrators as such.
With sad and angry events this week – whether the poisoning of birds or bull fighting – it would be very easy to get downhearted at mankind’s ill treatment of animalkind. But let’s not. As Martin Luther King JR said in that speech “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.”
Edmund Burke said that “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” The good news is that many good people are not doing nothing, good people are taking action. Tens of thousands of people signed petitions that were handed into the Spanish Embassy on Wednesday. The PAAG has put in hours of blood, sweat and tears to develop the code of Minimum Standards that if followed could restrict and prevent unscrupulous traders in pets and companion animals. And there are many charities and NGOs reporting and exposing the poisoning and shooting of raptors in the UK.
It has been a long hard struggle to change the relationship between animals and humans and a road long travelled. But it is a struggle that has many supporters and many people willing to take part. OneKind will keep up its efforts in that struggle and play a full part after all we believe it’s in all our interests - humans animals - to do so. As our very own triplet or rule of three says;
HumanKind, AnimalKind, OneKind