It was good news to my ears yesterday, when Mike Baird the NSW Primer finally announced that the cruel and barbaric pursuit of Greyhound Racing (I refuse to call it an industry) will finally be shut down, in New South Wales.
Baird had little option after a Special Commission of Inquiry found overwhelming evidence of systemic animal cruelty, including mass greyhound killings and live baiting, within the gruesome pastime. I have no sympathy for those who have profited from greyhound racing and will no longer be able to do so.
The Greens NSW have long campaigned in and out of the parliament for this barbarism to be stopped. Others within parliament, particularly the Shooter Party, have done everything within their power to protect this disgusting business. Yesterday Borsak from the Shooters attacked the government’s decision as a “huge mistake” talking of job losses and profits gone... My opinion, close this down with absolutely no compensation to any participant, full stop!

I have read the report and it is seriously flawed.

To take the words of those under criminal charges when they stated that "oh everybody does it" is just ludicrous. Of course they would say that to minimise the heinousness of their own crimes. To conclude from the evidence of these fools that there is "widespread" cruelty and live baiting is nothing more than a sad joke and shows justice mchews biases.

The "wastage" issue is also overblown and somewhat irrelevant given the "wastage" in horseracing, egg production, live exports, indeed even lowly pet ownership ends with thousands of animals "wasted" and much cruelty. No one is talking about shutting those industries down.

The industry should have been reformed and retained. It is possible but baird wants access to prime developer land for his mates to plant apartments on. Dont believe a word of his assurances to the contrary. Remember what party he belongs to.
Just like removing Newcastles rail line was "nothing to do with development in the rail corridor".
Until yesterday when they announced a rezoning to allow high rise.
Suprise suprise.
NSW corruption at its finest.

A few bad eggs, and Herr Baird jumps in, jackboots and all, and closes down a sport enjoyed by millions and employing thousands. Is there no longer any opposition party in NSW? Are New South Welshmen so broken that they are going to allow this creep to get away such a dictatorial action? This is totally Left fascist behaviour from a treacherous 'conservative' gone into the feral Left/Green camp. He is fraud, a Turnbullite, using and whiting-anting the party and voters who put him into the job. He is a sympton of the GreenLeft disease, spreading through the country like fire ants, destroying everthing. It's strike two for this fascist, strike one being his fawning to Muslims and spending public money on ridiculous 'de-radicalisation' plans got Muslim thugs. What is the jerk and his Greenie mates going to do when Greyhound owners start putting down their animals? There is a limit to the number of pet owners prepared to take on these beautiful animals.

I have mixed feelings about this.

From the song "Had Gadia", http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/had-gadya

"Then came a fire and burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim."

On the one hand, clearly the racers were doing the wrong thing.
On the other hand, what right has one person to judge and punish another?

If today one can forcibly ban bad things, what stops them from banning good things tomorrow just because they THINK that they are bad?

In the end, only God should be permitted to judge and punish and surely we shall then all be accountable for our deeds without the intervention of weak-minded intermediaries who are evil-doers themselves.

"Then came the Holy One, Blessed is He, and slew the Angel of Death who killed the slaughterer who slaughtered the ox that drank the water that doused the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim"

Dear ttbn,

Hell mate, you had better dial it back or you will do yourself a mischief.

I had a rabid dog in my driveway once doing circles and trying to chew its tail off. Your post reminded me of the occasion.

On second thoughts perhaps you should keep it up. Most entertaining.

Steele,

Where were you living when you had a rabid dog in your driveway?

Couldn't have been Australia as rabies in dogs does not occur here, (yet!!).

I've never been into dog racing or horse racing for that matter, but I think if a dog, I'd rather live for a couple of years, particularly with all the best, like young greyhounds get, than never have lived at all. I also know just a couple of greyhound owners, & the love they lavish on their dogs.

Typical these dictatorial do gooders, jump on horse racing & other sports trying for more dictatorial outcomes. Knowing nothing except that they are against anything with animals, they have no idea.

Yes we put them down sometimes. In fact I had to put down the last of my daughters show jumpers & dressage horses recently. He came to us as a 7 month old colt. stayed a colt & sired some lovely foals. He was also a brilliant show jumper, my eldest competed on for about 10 years.

Retired at 16, he was still my mate, & lived in a paddock beside the house. At 28 he developed a cancer, which defied treatment.

Have you ever tried to dig a hole big enough to bury a horse, when you can't see through the tears. Yes I put him down, & still miss his nicker, demanding a rub when ever I go out the back door.

Greens believe they love animals.

They wouldn't know the half of it.

Dear Is Mise,

Davao City, Mindanao, and the latest Philippines president was our neighbour back then. We knew him as Rudy. He was hardnosed already. Strange times but memorable.

Dear Hasbeen,

Horses certainly have a way of getting under your skin and when you have to put down one that has greeted you each morning it is pretty brutal. Still miss our mare after 4 years have gone by.

That being said I have a mate who works at the CSIRO who has told me that nearly a third of all race horses suffer from stress related ulceration of their stomachs. I have also had the misfortune of visiting a puppy farm about 5 years ago and that was a bloody disgrace.

I think Baird's words about a 'social contract' being broken were spot on. There was an expectation that the industry clean itself up when systemic abuse and cruelty was rife. It failed to do so. I have had dogs all my life and I'm sure there were those in the industry who would have been just as fond of theirs. But big money has a tendency to pollute and it has done just that. Just as I was happy to see regulation drive many puppy farmers out of business by the sounds of it greyhound racing had become toxic in NSW so i'm not shedding a tear for its demise.

Just to put this in perspective.

Two other big greyhound racing nations are Britain and the USA.

The figures for animals euthanised after retiring in Britain are about 1,000 and in the US is 2,000.

The annual toll of Greyhounds put down in NSW alone was in the order of 4,000 to 5,500 annually.

Absolutely unacceptable.

mixed feelings about this one. Pigs and cattle are bred to eat while some dogs are bred to race. Hopefully the treatment of animals is done decently but to treat them as humans is n ot right. Just look at how we butcher the unborn. Surely a much higher priority. Appears not.

Nice one Hasbeen.

Im pretty sure all working animals would suffer far more if left to themselves than when they are looked after and used by us.
How many wild horses break a leg and then suffer and eventually die?
Ill bet more than the expensive and well looked after racehorses. Who dont suffer if they have a catastrophic injury.
Same with the dogs. If I was a dog I would definitely prefer to be a greyhound. Even the so called "wastage" dogs live a better(short) life than many pets. Left alone all day and never exercised. Not to mention the regular instances of cruelty in the pet owning ranks. How many "pets" have mauled and even killed people in recent years? How many greyhounds have attacked someone? Greyhounds get top quality food, proper housing, good vet care, plenty of fun. They enjoy chasing and it can be done cleanly and without cruelty.

If their whole industry is to be shut down for the sins of a few and a problem of "wastage" then I look forward to bairds upcoming announcements on the closure and banning of the dairy industry, pretty much all horse related industries, egg and poultry production, live exports, halal AND kosher slaughtering, pet ownership to be restricted to fish and tamagotchis, and all hunting banned, especially using dogs to hunt and bring down prey.

Either your ethics apply to everything or they are not ethics at all just exploitation and opportunism.

Steele,

Was the dog a greyhound. If not, is a rabid dog just a prop to explain your feelings about me and everything I say?

You will note that I have politely answered your question about Switzerland your amazing suggestion that I would have food banned.

I must admit that about the only time I gamble is when I order Chinese food, however, you must have lived under a rock if you didn't know this practice went on within the greyhound industry, as well as the horse racing industry, the difference being that most dud horses go to the knackery.

Perhaps if the dud dogs had been processed for the likes of fertilizer or fish food it would not have caused such a sh-t storm. But the reality is, if not for the industry, these dog would not have been born and lets face it, no one is going to pour good money into a dud.

Its no different than a farmer shooting an unwanted dairy calf, or a useless disobedient dog. It happens every day.

I have no problem with a man racing his dog against other men's dogs.

I have no problem with people having a wager on the side.

I object to the breed discrimination inherent in the industry, because I think there are lots of other breeds besides greyhounds that race well.

I object vehemently to animal cruelty.

//If I was a dog I would definitely prefer to be a greyhound.//

Are you mental? If I was a dog I would be, in top 5 order of preference:

1) A rich, lonely person's dog. Man they must have it sweet.
2) A seeing-eye dog. They do have to work to earn their keep, but they are kept extremely well. In the land of the blind, the sighted dog is king.
3) A family pet in a loving home. Dogs are social animals; they love company, and a dog can do lot worse than one square meal a day, a warm kennel and all the affection he can put up with.
4) A Customs or Police sniffer dog. Like seeing-eye dogs, they have to work to earn their keep but they are kept well. But I doubt they get as much love as seeing-eye dogs, simply because the Police and Customs handlers are not dependent on their dog the way blind people are.
5) A herding dog. Had a hard time prioritising this one and the former; but in the end I put the sniffer dogs ahead because even though I think herding dogs are more loved by their owners, they live a much harder life than most modern working breeds.

//Greyhounds get top quality food, proper housing, good vet care, plenty of fun. They enjoy chasing and it can be done cleanly and without cruelty.//

Not necessarily. This is why the industry should have been thoroughly investigated and reformed, not prohibited.

Instead, the geniuses in the NSW parliament have adopted for prohibition. We all know how this story goes: dog racing continues clandestinely. With less regulation there is more corruption and more cruelty. The dogs are the ones that suffer the most.

The sudden and unexpected announcement of such a drastic decision makes me smell a rat, and it stinks of corruption. It's as if the Government would never have dreamt of it, then somebody hands the relevant ministers some cash in a brown paper bag with not a word to the taxman, and hey-presto! No more dog racing!

Make no mistake; there is a hell of a lot of corruption in the gambling industry, and it goes all the way to the top.

I'd love to get down to the local park on a weekend to watch my mate's greyhound-X? (I assume cheetah) smash everybody else's dog out of the ballpark.

Maybe the ban on greyhound racing is a chance for people to rebuild dog racing on a local, community based level without the breed discrimination, cruelty or corruption.

But that might be a bit too much fun, so the fun police will have to crack down on it.

N.W.A. almost said it best when they almost said 'F#&k the Fun Police'.

Toni,

Your 'Top 5' is one of the best posts that I've ever read. Congratulations.

LOL Toni
I have always wondered how other types of dogs would go at racing.
There is no reason why not. As long as they are matched with dogs of similar ability Im sure they and their owners would love it.

That is part of the problem with greyhound racing. They only want the fastest and there is no where for the slower dogs to go.
It has been suggested that a grading system like Ireland's, where they have 10 grades and even the slowest dog can find a race to be competitive in, should have/should be introduced. That way they dont need to "waste" the slow dogs and the older dogs can race longer in lower grades.

Along with increased surveillance and licensing requirements, massive punishments for wrongdoers and better track design there is no reason why racing has to be shut down and thousands of people hurt and impoverished. Not to mention the likely execution of many of the greyhounds who cant be rehoused.

There is much being said here, for example by Toni Lavis, that I agree with.

I reckon what is being done is that the government and the activists it is responding to are happy to select one small part of a large and complex social system to take umbrage and to over-react with a ban.

Likely too, there is some secondary gain for various interests including government that could for instance see prime real estate developments replacing green 'underutilised' land.

Some might see some parallels with the government's and developers' jealous attempts to snatch back the broad green and scrubby acres of the historic ANZAC rifle range with the fauna it protects. Government was narrowly pipped there, but doubtless the plans have gone into some senior bureaucrat's drawer only to reappear some time in the future.

Meanwhile on the internet a woman video-streamed the death of her loving partner, while he expired after being stopped for a broken tail light.

i am surprised at the level of ignorance shown, when it comes to greyhound racing. The primary objective is to attempt to make money. Greyhound people are incessantly greedy people motivated by the elusive profit. To make money from greyhounds you need to win races and due to mostly poor prize money attempt to profit through gambling. To win races you need a fast dog, in fact there is very little difference in time between a fast and slow animal maybe no more than one second over 500 meters.
To this end one must obtain a fast dog, and to find that elusive animal the participants engage in mass breeding practices, litters of 8 to 10 are common. After raring and 'breaking in' where live baiting is common practice the vast majority of greyhounds are considered slow, or even worse still non chasers, which usually spells an early, but quick death for the poor animal. many dogs never see the lights of the race track, killed well before their time.
That is enough for now. I know so much about this grievous business over 40 years of following it first hand, It is simply based on systemic cruelty, not only to greyhounds, but to other animals, rabbits, possums, even chickens, cats and other small dogs, we have see it all, from the trial tracks to the backyards, even on licences race tracks, shocking acts of cruelty. And any participant who says he or she does not engage in greyhound barbarism is either a fool or a liar!

Paul1405,

Since you are on record for supporting abortion in humans (which I do too as a practical necessity) one could ask why you are indulging in emotional blackmail over euthanising dogs that are unwanted.

Where self-regulation is ineffective government can be obliged to take a role.

However you and the Greens are being political opportunists. Ambulance chasers. Nothing to contribute and not even a smidgen of effort to discuss with the stakeholders outside of the other protest groups involved. All protest for headlines and adding to the complexity.

What is the next target after greyhounds? Serial protest groups and protest parties need a constant supply.

Here is a novel idea, what about the Greens coming up with some practical recommendations and positive, constructive actions to address those 'Struggle Streets' identified by the taxpayer-funded national broadcaster? You wouldn't want Mark Latham to be constantly reminding Shorten and the Greens, now would you?

"FORMER Labor leader Mark Latham has slammed his party’s “obsession” with gay marriage saying it should focus on the nation’s “Struggle Streets” instead.

He told 3AW radio Bill Shorten’s private members bill to push for changes to the marriage act to allow same-sex couples to tie the knot, to be introduced into parliament on Monday, was nothing more than a symbolic gesture.

He said the biggest social issue facing Australia was unemployment, drug use and homelessness in suburbs such as Mt Druitt which was the focus of the SBS documentary, Struggle Street.
“If you are interested in equality and social justice in Australia then what was the really big event in the month of May,” he said. “We had the Struggle Street documentary which revealed that in the nation’s public housing estate, most notably in Mt Druit people live in conditions that you wouldn’t wish upon your dogs. Absolute chaos, despair and hopelessness in their lives...

“They’re obsessed, instead, by gay marriage.”
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/former-labor-leader-mark-latham-slams-labor-over-gay-marriage/news-story/6c89f7077536bf321ee40c25946e6f0f

Beach show me where I support "abortion in humans" I call you a liar. There is no such record, in fact I am a pacifist who opposes all forms of killing.
Like so much of the rubbish you post, you assumed that because I am a Green, I must support abortion. Wrong.

Paul1405,

You have confirmed that you are resolutely anti-abortion where humans are concerned. I erred in assuming that you supported abortion and I can see how offended you would be by that.

I am happy to retract my statement unreservedly.

I support abortion as a practical necessity. However I do believe that one of the prestigious universities should be tasked with a grant to examine why there are such large numbers of abortions, particularly among the 20 - 30 age group. That was not predicted by pro-abortion groups.

Returning to greyhounds, I would like to see some regulation and enforced, tried first.

Nonetheless I do have qualms, one being because organised crime uses gambling to launder money.

Paul1405,

I should add that I have had a quick glance at past posts - in as much as can be done that is.

It was enough to show that you have previously been clear and emphatic in your rejection of abortion on demand.

It was not something I was aware of. Again, apologies.

//Your 'Top 5' is one of the best posts that I've ever read. Congratulations.//

Cheers, big ears.

//I have always wondered how other types of dogs would go at racing.//

Better than greyhounds would be my bet. Like most 'purebred' dogs, greyhounds are thoroughly inbred. X-breeds and mongrels could smash them in a race.

//The primary objective is to attempt to make money.//

Yeah, that's how the world works.

//Greyhound people are incessantly greedy people motivated by the elusive profit.//

Greyhound people? Well this is a new and exciting development of biotechnology that I was unaware of. How might I go about becoming a Boxer person? They've always been my favourite breed.

//To win races you need a fast dog, in fact there is very little difference in time between a fast and slow animal maybe no more than one second over 500 meters.//

The ghost of Aesop, who I happen to be channeling, begs to differ.

//To this end one must obtain a fast dog, and to find that elusive animal the participants engage in mass breeding practices, litters of 8 to 10 are common.//

Litters of 8 to 10? In dogs? Why, such things are an unnatural perversion, unheard of!

Unless you've read 'The Hundred and One Dalmatians'.

Or have any basic knowledge of the reproductive biology of canis lupus familiaris.

//many dogs never see the lights of the race track, killed well before their time.//

A reprehensible practice which should be stamped out post haste.

//It is simply based on systemic cruelty, not only to greyhounds, but to other animals, rabbits, possums, even chickens, cats//

I call bullsh!t. Mythbusters have proved you can't herd cats, so I can't see how you'd get them to race. And they'd never pass as greyhounds anyway. As for passing off chickens...

Who supplies your LSD?

Dogs are not social animals, they are pack animals mostly caught up in the world of human intervention. Left to their own devices they are serious pack hunters and always will be.

The simple non emotional truth is that if you don't like what you call 'cruelty to animals' then the only way to prevent this type of culling is to close the entire industry down. Duds are duds, which ever way you look at it and no one running a business is going to continue feeding and training a dud.

Most of you do gooders would walk straight past a homeless kid to save one of these dogs.

These dogs are bread for a purpose, no different to an unwanted dairy bull calf.

Beach, thank you for your apology, very big of you, and your stocks have certainly gone up with me.

The cruelty in greyhound racing is not isolated, but systemic as participants try to obtain the slightest of advantage over others. Cruelty extents from live baiting to unnecessary injury to dogs themselves.
For years greyhound racing has been given the opportunity to clean up its act, time and time again its has proved to be incapable or unwilling to do so. Now time has run out, and the only solution is the complete abandonment of this despicable pastime.

The dog get to eat the loser of the last (horse) race and the those who don't make it there.

If licensing and inspection doesn't work and self regulation hasn't worked for many years, it is because the politicians who form government do not support the public bureaucrats responsible.

Politicians are known to deny poor and even illegal behaviour by a colleague to keep their own behind in clover. Self interest. There are plenty of past examples at State level, including a foul child molester in Qld (Labor). It affects the administration of police and justice portfolios as well. Whistleblowers cannot risk pointing the finger at present day examples in the 'cowards' castles.

I would say that the continued existence of cruel and corrupt practices in racing are very strong indicators of more serious deficiencies at a political and departmental senior executive, esp. CEO levels. For example, what is preventing audit discovery? Red flags! In that case as a very first condition there needs to be some legislated independent program of regular, random, comprehensive audits of government agencies, outside of the control and negative influence of the Minister and agency head.

Simply banning racing covers up a spectrum of unethical conduct that could be affecting other, potentially all, government agencies. Politicians are always happy to have a fall guy and close the book, as long as they themselves can escape accountability.

Independent politicians should be adamant as a matter of course that all government agencies have accounting systems and audit arrangements, eg a properly constituted and active audit committee, that are in FULL accordance with the standards of the relevant professional associations.

So aim higher and there is a readymade solution I'd say to the Greens. The 'fish rots from the head' as some say and from their experience auditors say they agree with that.

I am aware that all States and the feds do have at least the semblance of audit programs in place. Also that agency heads and senior management can easily make a game/sham of it. That is NOT, NEVER, possible without politicians from both sides of the House turning a blind eye and for obvious personal gain.

Life goes on.Make the poor suffer while the rich get richer.
Why not ban Horse Racing first.
The free entry for politicians to Race meeting may be the main reason.
Bob Hawke was never seen at a greyhound meeting but along with Rich Boys Shorten and Turnball regular guests at the horse races.

If criminal cruelty is rife in the industry, where is the list of successful prosecutions?

Surely application of the law would clean up greyhound racing and preserve the jobs and assets of those who are doing the right thing.

Wonder what Wentworth Park would be worth as high rise real estate?

The Australian today: the greyhound industry is raising funds to fight against the draconian ban on their activities. Good luck to them.

Dear ttbn,

You wrote;

“Steele, Was the dog a greyhound. If not, is a rabid dog just a prop to explain your feelings about me and everything I say? You will note that I have politely answered your question about Switzerland your amazing suggestion that I would have food banned.”

Actually the rabid dog was referencing your frothing at the mouth post however I was surprised to see a comment from you as you had said of me; “Since my run in with him, I would never again respond to him or address him directly.”

Perfectly happy to respond if you have changed your stance.

ttbn, its a pity the greyhound mob didn't spend some of their millions of $$$ in the past to stamp out the systemic cruelty that has proliferated in their disgusting pastime. But then they would only be wiping out themselves with their own money. Like a dog chasing its tail.

Good, glad they are doing this in NSW, in my view, ALL animal racing sports should be eliminated once and for all. Too much susceptibility to organised crime!

Like a greyhound on a rabbit, Is Luke Foley onto the scent of a big political donation, with his announced support of the barbaric greyhound mob. Foley claims he wants to "clean up the industry, not shut it down". News for Mr Foley, to my knowledge people have been calling for tis sick mob to "clean up" for 50 years, alas the call has fallen on deaf ears.
Foley also claims "I'll stand by the overwhelming majority of people in the industry who've only ever done the right thing," This is untrue, from owners to officials and everyone in between, animal cruelty is systemic in greyhound racing. News Mr Foley the overwhelming majority of people in greyhound racing DON'T do the right thing, cruelty is accepted as part and parcel by all in the greyhound business.
Foley, you are a fool, and the best you'll ever be is opposition leader, until you are replaced. I expect this kind of nonsense from The lunatic Shooters Party, but not from Labor.

There are some "F" words in this Yourube so if you don't want to gear them don't watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38B1bHEw4cQ

ABC YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqu9U4OOgtg

Two things :-
Well done everyone who contributed to the close down of the Greyhound Industry in NSW. This will result in a mass slaughter of the dogs but I bet they are all feeling better about themselves. The dogs not the people.
There was a recent forum by some female bleating about cruelty but saying no one can bring up Lions eating herbivores. She was given a sound going over but still prefers to view animals as people. You know Mr and Mrs Fox and 2.4 cubs going to Fox High School etc.
Oh Toto we are not in Kansas anymore!

JBowyer "This will result in a mass slaughter of the dogs" we have that already with about 17,000 greyhounds slaughtered each year in Australia, by you guessed it greyhound people. Can you put a figure on the number killed, say over the past 50 years. Not to mention the systemic cruelty to other animals.
The old red herring, what about the lions etc, what rubbish.
There there are the kiddies mouths to feed, what will daddy do now for a living if he can't be cruel to animals. Get a real job.

Paul,

To put things into some perspective,

460-550 million broiler (meat) chickens (see www.aussiechickens.com)
3-5 million turkeys (see www.aussieturkeys.com)
8 million ducks (see www.aussieducks.com)
4-5 million pigs (see www.aussiepigs.com)
11-12 million layer hens (see www.aussieeggs.com)
4 million bulls, bullocks and steers
3 million cows and heifers
7 million cattle
700000-900000 calves (“waste products” of the dairy industry)
5-7 million sheep
17-19 million lambs
http://www.aussieabattoirs.com/facts

Dear Paul,

You and I sincerely believe that the greyhound people are doing the wrong thing. I am in fact disgusted by this practice.

Just as well, we are quite likely to have things that are very dear to us which JBowyer sincerely believes are wrong.

Suppose, purely for the sake of example, that you are in a loving homosexual relationship and JBowyer is sincerely and utterly convinced that unless you cease and repent you would be going to hell for all eternity.

If we have a right to legislate against greyhound-racing just because we happen to be in the majority, then why shouldn't JBowyer legislate against homosexuality if s/he happens to be in the majority?

Yuyutsu, in an ideal democracy laws should reflect the wishes of the majority. In the case of homosexuality, in the past the majority were opposed, and the laws reflected that majority opinion. Today public opinion has shifted, and polititions have to gauge what their constituency want and adjust the laws accordingly.
Greyhound racing has operated in the past with the peoples approval. Baird in his wisdom commissioned a report into greyhound racing in NSW. Having the knowledge of that report Baird acted in a way that he believes the majority of the people of NSW would want him to.

Is Mise, what is the Shooters Parties justification for keeping greyhound racing in NSW? What else has the elephant killer Borsak had to say on the subject. Are the Shooters and Hooters expecting a big donation from the greyhound killers, or something. Are you supporting your party on this one?
And your post. what is the point, is there a hidden justification for killing 17,000 greyhound in Australia each year. I fail to see it.

Paul,

If killing 70,000 greyhounds annually is wrong then killing 700,000-900,000 calves (“waste products” of the dairy industry) is demonstrably worse
So why isn't Baird going after the perpetrators, where are the Greens?

When this subject came up before I expressed my opposition to the industry but had concerns for peoples' jobs etc.
I still have those concerns and concern for the process of Law.
If all that has been alleged is true where is the record of successful prosecutions?

Baird has bitten off more than he can chew and is bound to lose in the Courts.

Dear Is Mise,

If you don't know the difference then let me educate you.

In this country dogs are deemed 'man's best friend'. Our society believes they deserve a higher degree of protection than cattle. They are loyal companions for the most part and give great comfort particularly to our elderly when living alone.

This is not the case in all countries. When I lived abroad as a teenager I ate dog meat for a couple of years without realising it. It was pure ignorance that I was unaware that my favourite dish, meat filled dumplings, contained it (just quietly it isn't too bad).

It is considered a real treat in Korea when dogs are often hung by their necks and beaten to death as the adrenaline is deemed to soften the meat.

Our value system is different and I for one am happy that it is.

You often seem quite put out by the culture we have developed in this country whether it is accepting things like multiculturalism, gun control, and legislating against a very cruel sport.

Perhaps you should seriously consider migrating.

Dear Paul,

I am well aware that in an ideal democracy laws should reflect the wishes of the majority. However, an ideal democracy would also only apply to groups of people who freely chose to associate and have this arrangement between them.

This is not the situation: here, someone declared without your consent that whether you like it or not, you and JBowyer belong to the same "nation" and are thus tied and locked to each other in a cruel game.

Suppose you have practically nothing in common with JBowyer, suppose s/he feels that dog-racing is the most important essence without which life is not worth living - while you feel similarly about your homosexual relationship (just an example): why the hell should JBowyer be allowed to deny you this which you value above all else, just because he happens to have a larger family, more friends or breeds more children to increase his/her number of votes?

Assuming JBowyer is not personally/physically hurt by your homosexual practices and assuming you are not personally/physically hurt by his/her dog-racing, what right have any of you to deny the other's lifestyle?

We all do the wrong thing from time to time, but this does not authorise others to force themselves on us uninvitedly, self-appointing themselves as our moral-guardians and saviours.

Steele, Is Mise has applied to 179 countries for asylum, with 179 knock backs. He went close with North Korea, but when Kim Jong-un found out Is Mise was a Bob Borsak supporter he said "No, no, not here, no one in North Korea who support such crazy politician, with very wacko policy, he more crazy than me!"

Yuyutsu, our democratic system is far from perfect, but I can live with it. Your line is interesting but I'll stick with what we have. If the majority feel that strongly about Baird's actions then they can deliver judgement at the next election. I am confident he has the overwhelming support of the community on this issue. Only a few cruel die hard's like the animal killer Is Mise, and the elephant killer himself Borsak, people who take perverse pleasure in seeing animals suffer pain, along with the less than 1% of ratbags from the blood sports of hunting and greyhound torture will be in opposition.