Bar Wars return: Plans for Pendle Bar to only open ... - Scan - Lusu

FEATURESFEATURES EDITOR: ANNIE GOUKSCAN.LUSU.CO.UK/CAROLYNNE/FEATURESSCAN.FEATURES@LUSU.CO.UKIS GREAT BRITAIN CRUEL TO ANIMALS?THE GRAND NATIONAL, AS WELL AS A RECENT NEWS STORY ABOUT A STUDENT FRYING AHAMSTER, RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. WILL A SOLUTION EVER BE FOUND?cosmetics is vain and un-necessary; resultingin the EU recently enforcing a ban on the saleof cosmetics which were developed throughanimal testing, after much campaigning andcelebrity support from the likes of Sir PaulMcCartney, Morrissey and Sienna Miller.‘A student was recently summonedto court for thinking itwould be absolutely hilariousto cook whilst drunk, the mainingredient being a hamster’RACHEL QUINDEPUTY FEATURES editorThe issue of cruelty to animals is ever present inthe modern world, as we progress from the darkages - where it was deemed perfectly acceptableto slaughter cute cuddly animals to a God of yourchoosing – we become much more humane andprefer to keep them as pets. As a result of this, wetend to become outraged by cases where peopletreat our fellow creatures like dirt.A student of York was recently summoned tocourt for thinking it would be absolutely hilariousto cook whilst drunk, the main ingredient beinga hamster. The student involved, James White,was accused of frying the hamster, and the poorcreature was discovered the next morning curledup in a frying pan. Although it is unclear whetherthe animal was cooked alive - White claims thathe is unsure whether he killed the hamster - it iswithout a doubt that his actions were disgusting,drunk or not.The judge sentenced Mr. White to 120 hourscommunity service and fined him £1,000; as wellas a ban on keeping animals. Upon sentencing,the judge stated “had that sadistic conduct [cookingthe hamster alive] been established I would bedealing with you in a far more serious way thanI am”. To many people, including myself,the act of frying someone’s pet is31 abhorrent and should be severely punished,but it also raises the question of,THE GRAND NATIONAL RAISESQUESTIONS ABOUT ANIMALCRUELTY EVERY YEARPhoto by Paulo Camerawhere do we draw the line with animals?By that I mean, say the poor hamster hadalready perished by the time White found it anddecided to fry it, is that still disgusting and cruel?Bearing in mind we regularly slaughter animalsand fry their remains to make delicious baconsandwiches. It’s a sensitive issue, as demonstratedby the recent horror over horse meat being usedin value ‘beef’ burgers.‘Animal rights will remainan issue as long as there arehumans to mistreat them’Animals have always been treated as lessvaluable than humans, often being the subjectsof medical and cosmetic testing. Though therehave been complaints about the mistreatment ofanimals in medical testing, using our furry friendshas helped to develop important vaccinations andtreatments for the likes of diabetes and other fatalillnesses.In fact, although animals are subjected tomany unpleasant things in the name of medicalresearch, they have also benefitted; for example, twofatal illnesses in cats have since been discoveredand vaccines created. However, one could arguethat whilst animals are vital in medical research,using them for the benefits of creatingAnother bone of contention for theanimal lovers of Britain comes from the GrandNational, first run in 1839 and held atAintree Racecourse in Liverpool. Animal rightsactivists have long campaigned to have it modifiedor banned. The horse deaths in the Grand National arehigher than your average steeplechase - reportssuggesting there around six deaths per 439 horsesbetween 2000 and 2010.Aintree officials have taken note and workedwith welfare organisations to improve the courseand veterinary facilities, including a surgeryconstructed in the stable yard in order to treatinjured horses more rapidly. Whilst these changesare somewhat comforting, there are still calls forthe race to be abolished completely, as some arguethe horses ‘do not want to race’ and that it is cruelto hold such an event as a form of entertainment.These arguments are certainly valid, andsome of the jockeys could learn to be gentlerwith their whip; but these competing horsesare bred to race. Horses enjoy physical exerciseand take great pleasure in being ridden. In fact,if not ridden enough horses become unhappyand restless. Furthermore, if we banned horseracing, would use would we have for horses?They’re hardly a household pet, and there isoutrage when we try to put horse flesh in our food;therefore by banning horse racing there wouldn’treally be any specific role for horses, other thanbeing occasionally strutted round a field forchildren learning to ride.Overall, animal rights will remain anissue as long as there are humans to mistreatthem, and it seems unlikely that asatisfying solution for all will be discovered anytime soon. Whilst animals can be our greatestfriend at home as domesticated pets, animalsare also our main source of nourishment andallow us to safely find cures for diseases withoutendangering human life.