Animal activists - Is it all a big pretence?
Last night I watched Shark Bait: Gordon Ramsay on DSTV and felt sick to my stomach at the cruelty to sharks, whose numbers have fallen by more than 60% off the west coast of South America over the past seven years. While watching, my thoughts drifted to a recent debate I started on Facebook. Photograph: Paul Hilton Does not eating meat and not using animal products such as leather make a positive contribution to the inhumane slaughter and abuse of animals? From the comments on Facebook, I can say that 95% of those who commented do not feel it will make a positive contribution. Everyone is, however, at one with the fact that people should instead take action against these activities that lead to abuse rather than simply discontinuing the use of the animal product. Gordon Ramsay, last night set a perfect example. He confronted restaurant guests, chefs, fishermen, port security and many others single-handed. He went out there and witnessed how an endangered...