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| Sunday, 11 May 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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A penny for thought on animal rights by FACTOTUM It is only in the big city that such insensitiveness to life and limb would be displayed. An incident of a cow heavy with calf knocked down by a motorist at that bewitching hour of midnight and then left to bleed to death by dawn with the strong arm of the law enforcing the rules to the letter and turning down the offer of another passerby motorist-an animal lover to take away the wounded creature for treatment was poignantly related at the inaugural press conference of the society for the Protection of Animal Rights (SPAR) held at the Galle Face Hotel the other day. It was fittingly in the big city and at a big hotel that they met-all these animal lovers - who appeared to hail from that class of society generally considered to be oblivious to the travails of the hoipolloi, let alone animals, but redeemingly they were serious about their concerns and meant to do their utmost, first to create an awareness among the people that all forms of life have a right to exist and be unharmed. The Red Indian Chief Seattle went further than SPAR when he said "We know the sap which comes through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. The air is precious to us. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh...." SPAR President Penny Jayawardene harked back further in time invoking the words of Arahat Mahinda to King Devanampiyatissa reminding us all that the plea for man and beast to live in harmony not endangering the environment was made even over 2000 years ago. "Oh! Great King, the birds of the air and the beasts have an equal right to live and move about in any part of this land as thou. The land belongs to the people and all other beings and thou art only the guardian of it." Alerting the gathering present to the relevance of these words in the present day SPAR called on all leaders, decision makers, law enforcement authorities and all people to embrace the ethics of Arahat Mahinda's request and give animals and birds the freedom to move in their own environment and live in the freedom that humans dearly cherish. SPAR also drives a distinction between animal rights and animal welfare. Those for animal welfare believe that using animals for human ends is in order as long as certain safeguards are met. Slaughtering animals after human needs are met are permissible if conducted in a humane way. SPAR dissents. SPAR campaigns will be targeting the public - public education through non-violent means is stressed in the programme enunciated at the conference which was meant mainly to canvass police and media support for their cause. SPAR endorses an animal rights position which maintains that all sentient beings, regardless of species, have the right to be treated as independent entities, and not as the property of others. SPAR recognises that we will not abolish animal exploitation and the property status of animals overnight, but will encourage and educate the public to adopt lifestyles and make choices that will be appropriate to achieve these aims. SPAR commits itself to public education concerning the rights of animals and the importance of defending any other animal whose language communication is different to our own, and who are thus unable to 'speak' for themselves. SPAR is alive to interests even global that run counter to its objectives but a penny for thought on animal rights is timely-reminding us of our animal friendly cultural heritage. |
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