Monday, 23 July 2012

RIGHT ON BRIAN!

I don't usually mention politics in these hallowed pages. I know that the political views of our readers, and - indeed - those whom we write about are many and varied, and I also know that my politics which have essentially changed little since I first discovered Crass and their ilk some thirty years ago are hardly mainstream. But this story is heartwarming, is incontravertably rock and roll, and Brian May deserves our plaudits. Well done mate - I owe you a beer!

Queen guitarist Brian May has spoken out against a planned cull of badgers in the West Country. He was speaking at a meeting of The League Against Cruel Sports in Taunton on Friday evening. On 12 July a legal bid by The Badger Trust to block a cull in England failed in the High Court. The cull is likely to begin in Somerset and Gloucestershire later in the year. Mr May called for vaccination of cattle rather than a cull.

Read on...

I would also like to put my oar in as a scientist of sorts. From the evidence I have seen, the badger cull is neither good economics nor good science. It will cost a fortune and achieve very little, (that is quite apart from the moral question of killing even more of God's wild creatures in the name of commerce) and I am reminded of the sage words of Sir Humphrey Appleby who commented on the motivation of Government Ministers thirty odd years ago.

"Politician's logic:
We must do something.
This is something.
Therefore we must do it."

Related Stories
Appeal started over badger cull
Bid to block badger cull denied
Badger cull plan 'legally flawed'
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2 comments:

  1. Web Owner23 July 2012 at 10:10

    Hi Jon. Is it ok to cross post this piece regarding Brian May and his stand against the badger cull. Their are always other methods of disease control as was the once rabies which was managed without killing off the wildlife. The badger cull is also an issue with me along with the proposed squirrel cull.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jon Downes23 July 2012 at 10:16

    Yes, of course you can. BTW do you want a free pass to the Weird Weekend next month?

    ReplyDelete

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