I used to think TIME was a reputable magazine and source of news. I had placed it into the same category as National Geographic, ABC, or Huffington Post. This was until my partner posted on Facebook this article entitled Australians Are Trying to Decide if It’s O.K. to Swear at Sheep.
What this TIME article is glossing over and trying to trivialise is the PETA expose of the widespread abuse and mutilation of sheep in the Australian wool industry.
My own thoughts on the issue and its initial response can be found in my post; PETA Wool Exposé.
How the 'TIME Staff'' could watch those videos and read that report and then write a story without expressing disgust at the physical abuse, astounds me. The story focuses on swearing at the sheep, and does not address the seriousness of the other abuses uncovered.
I have contacted TIME for an explanation and asked for those TIME staff to be fired or make a public apology and am awaiting a response. If i had a TIME subscription i would be canceling it.
Johnny Depp
is currently in Australia filming the latest Pirates of the Caribbean move. It
was discovered that he had brought his two little Yorkshire terriers, Pistol
and Boo, in on his private plane, without proper authorisation.
Barnaby
Joyce National party minister, agriculture minister and popularly referred to as an all round asshat, commented
to Australia’s media that;
“It’s time that Pistol
and Boo buggered off back to the United States,”
and
“Now Mr Depp has to
either take his dogs back to California or we’re going to have to euthanise
them. He’s got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs.”
He also attended another gay hate rally where he said he was opposed to marriage equality because;
“We know that the best protection for those girls (his daughters) is that they get themselves into a secure relationship with a loving husband and I want that to happen for them."
and
"I don’t want any legislator to take that right away from me.”
No one is sure how giving equal rights to Australians would possibly prevent his daughters from marrying men. Ignoring the apparent misogyny of his comment, my best guess is that he has such a low opinion of women that he believes the majority of men will "jump ship" and stop pretending to be straight as soon as equality comes to Australia, leaving his daughters with few men to marry. If you have a better explanation please comment below.
Barnaby Joyce outrageious attack on Australia tourism and its film industry has met with eye rolling and disgust within the sensible Australian community. People understand that Australia needs to keep animal diseases out, but we even today, expect our ministers to measure their words and not threaten to kill peoples pets. A few friends have suggested that Mr Joyce may be jealous of Johnny Depp's looks as Barnaby oddly mentioned how attractive Depp was in his statement. Its strange behavior and bizarre behavior seems to be way to common with out politicians at the moment.
Clive Palmer billionaire and politician said; "His actions could potentially put the movie project in jeopardy and
damage our relationship with the US, costing thousands of jobs and
millions of dollars in exports."
kyle Sandilands an Australian radio and TV personality said to Barnaby in an interview;
"You sound like an absolute clown telling the guy to bugger off to Hollywood or we'll kill his dogs,"
and
"You're a government minister, not some idiot off the street mouthing off to a news camera. Have some decency."
and
“You’re an absolute joke, Barnaby ... I'm going off because
you sound like an insensitive wanker. That's what you sound like, Barnaby.
You're a joke, you're a disgrace and you should retract your statement and
reword it properly,"
I could not find a comment on Barnaby Joyce's continued inappropriate behavior by our Prime Minister and possible Reptilian Tony Abbot.
While incredibly Barnaby Joyce still holds his position as agriculture minister, the story does have a happy ending as the two little dogs managed to flee his clutches and are safe from his nefarious attentions.
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and
Biphobia
May 17
The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and
Biphobia (TIDAHTB) was founded in 2004 to bring attention to the violence and
discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally.
According to their website the TIDAHTB is now celebrated in
more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal, with
1600 events reported from 1280 organizations in 2014. These mobilisations unite
millions of people in support of the recognition of human rights for all,
irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
The date of May 17th was specifically chosen
to commemorate the World Health Organisation’s sensible decision in 1990 to
declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.
The White House released an official statement on May 16th 2015Statement
by the President on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Michelle and I join our fellow
Americans and others around the world in commemorating the International Day
Against Homophobia and Transphobia tomorrow, May 17. We take this
opportunity to reaffirm that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)
rights are human rights, to celebrate the dignity of every person, and to
underscore that all people deserve to live free from fear, violence, and
discrimination, regardless of who they are or whom they love.
We work toward this goal every
day. Here at home, we are working to end bias-motivated violence, combat
discrimination in the workplace, and address the specific needs of transgender
persons. Overseas, I am proud of the steps that the United States has
taken to prioritize the protection and promotion of LGBT rights in our
diplomacy and global outreach.
There is much more to do, and
this fight for equality will not be won in a day. But we will keep
working, at home and abroad, and we will keep fighting, for however long it
takes until we are all able to live free and equal in dignity and rights.
-------
I have not been able to find a statement from Australia's prime minister Tony Abbot. He has however expressed much homophobia in the past sating things like; Homosexuality challenges the "right order of things", homosexuality makes him "feel a bit threatened", he is responsible for outlawing gay marriage in the ACT and was front and center at the gay hate anti-marriage equality rally.
Brisbane City Council however, announced that
Story Bridge lights will be rainbow coloured tonight in support of IDAHOT.
PETA launched a campaign showing hidden camera footage of the outrageous animal cruelty performed upon sheep, by Australia shearers.
The reaction on social media was universally moral, most people were shocked and disgusted by the treatment of the animals.
Then there was accusations that PETA had abused the sheep in the photo, to which PETA responded that they had not mutilated a sheep to match the abuse seen in the video but instead used a prop that mimicked the abuse without endangering any animal.
To this amazingly enough some individuals actually found fault with that, saying that PETA should have used a real mutilated sheep!
The disturbing video is here:
For those who do not wish to watch the abuse, know that the video shows Australian shearers beat, punched, stamped on, kicked, mutilated and threw sheep around as they sheared them. At no point does anyone step in and tell the perpetrators to stop, showing it is common practise.
Wool Producers CEO Jo Hall when talking to the ABC said the industry was always improving, than went on about how the industry should use social media to try to 'out media' the negative image caused by the expose. She seems to imply that because PETA used a prop in the media photo, that somehow PETAs refusal to abuse an animal for the photo, negated the footage they had filmed. She claims the industry is really serious about animal welfare. No where in the interview does she speak about stopping abuse like shown in the video.
WoolProducers President Geoff Fisken said in contrast to the CEO that, the behavior shown
in the video was “unacceptable and unsupportable.” “We are shocked and
appalled by the footage,”.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce a Nationals party member, came out accusing PETA of lying about and besmirching the industry. He does not address how he come to the conclusion that the video is somehow false, and does not present any evidence to back up his claims. He notes that the sheep used in the photo media campaign was a prop, i am not sure where people are coming from with that, its silly, PETA are hardly going to mutilate an animal for a photo, and there hardly going to steal one from Australia that has been mutilated and keep in suffering until it can get to the photographer for the photo.
He goes on to attack Vegans, Americans, he praises genetically modified plants, seems to say he doesn't want to stop global warming, he goes on to talk about naked press conferences for some unknown reason.
He says:
"These are our animals. If someone plays up in a shed and brutalises an
animal, you just sack them on the spot, it's just not accepted" Now i don't see that in the video, i don't see that in the PETA report, i am sure if that had happened the landowners would have said, the industry would have said. He goes on to again accuse PETA of lying but still does not address the video or offer any evidence.
After many government ministers expressed their disgust at the video and dismay at Joyce s blame shifting, in a remarkable turn around, Barnaby Joyce did come out and say that his government "did not condone the mistreatment of animals" and he "had no doubt the images were disturbing."
Those that are actually appalled by the cruelty and wish it to stop include, The Shearing Contractors’ Association of Australia, Australian Farm Institute, Victorian Farmers Federation, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia (RSPCA), Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Australian Capital Territory Primary Industries Minister.
In conclusion we can see from the response that, certen members of the industry think the problem is that the abuse was reported and not that the abuse occurred. We can also see the political party line of blaming the messenger.It is similar to what happened when the UN asked Australia to stop torturing refuges, and our PMs response was to say Australia was sick of the UN telling Australia what to do...Its blame shifting, its shooting the messenger, its arresting the whistle-blower, it has to stop, as it serves no real good.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
PETA are an organisation that fights for animal rights, through education, investigations, research, rescue,
legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest
campaigns.
The Nationals; I am informed that once upon a time the National party stood for people in rural and bush Australia. Now however they have allied and formed a 'coalition'with the 'Liberal' party, and since then it is believed that they only act as vote revenue and toady's to the 'Liberal' party. The Nationals members have said ridiculous things such as, sodomy causes budget woes for government, legalizing marriage equality would prevent straight women from marrying, women should not be in the workforce, etc, etc. They seem to be a hotbed of homophobic, and racist sentiment. The Liberals; Its hard to know what to say about them, firstly they are not actually liberal and are in fact a far right wing political party. While formerly in government they did implement laws to make gun ownership a little more sensible. However nowadays, it has been said they are for bigots rights, against anti-discrimination, racist, treat refuges appallingly, want nurses out of nursing homes, have broken almost every election promise they made, are incredibly homophobic, have removed the right to marry from some Australians, record every Australians internet history, close down women shelters, are anti-environment, stop funding to feeding the homeless campaigns, are against the internet, are misogynistic, etc, and it would be near impossible to argue against such comments.
