Sacred cows more important than public safety

[Syron]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6901038.stm

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a thread on this yet. Basically a cow that a Hindu group in Wales kept because they believe it to be sacred tested positive for bovine TB and due to policies that were introduced to stop the spread of the disease the cow is required to be slaughtered.

The case went to the High Court and the judge ruled in favour of the Hindus declaring the destruction order unlawful as an apparent violation of their human rights.

I’d like to point out that in 1935, 2500 people died as a result of TB infected cows milk.

I wonder what people’s opinions are on here?

[Lawrence of Arabia]

If it has TB, I think the Hindus aren't going to start processing milk from the cow. Frankly, I'm surprised there IS a thread about this.

[Rhinosaur]

Bad precedent, even if the cow has religious meaning to people. All sorts of animals have all sorts of meanings to many people, but they should not come before human beings.

[removeduser_487563287433]

God, this is an old story. Syron unless Britain's supply of milk is coming from this one cow I don't think we need to stir up shite here. I don't see how it's going to spark a plague, either.

[Rhinosaur]

God, this is an old story. Syron unless Britain's supply of milk is coming from this one cow I don't think we need to stir up shite here.

Hardest working cow ever maybe?

[Syron]

God, this is an old story.

Not on here

Syron unless Britain's supply of milk is coming from this one cow I don't think we need to stir up shite here. I don't see how it's going to spark a plague, either.

That isn't the point, there is a reason why every cow infected is destroyed.

Maybe you don't understand the science but those in control of agricultural policy do. To leave one infected case is to threaten the entire effort to eradicate the disease.

The cow may not be being milked but it can infect other animals. Why do you think they were culling badgers a while ago?



Just because you don't think this is an important topic doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. Quite frankly i don't want my health put at risk because of a legal system that puts backwards beliefs before scientific disease control.

[jankren]

As far as I know the feces from mad cows can spread the disease.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Not on here



That isn't the point, there is a reason why every cow infected is destroyed.

Maybe you don't understand the science but those in control of agricultural policy do. To leave one infected case is to threaten the entire effort to eradicate the disease.

The cow may not be being milked but it can infect other animals. Why do you think they were culling badgers a while ago?



Just because you don't think this is an important topic doesn't mean everyone else doesn't. Quite frankly i don't want my health put at risk because of a legal system that puts backwards beliefs before scientific disease control.

Badgers and cows share the same habitat. This cow is confined to a temple.

[Syron]

Badgers and cows share the same habitat. This cow is confined to a temple.

You realise bovine TB can have air bourne vectors?


Besides, it doesn't really matter. it's a precedent. creating an opt out for no real reason that others will feel are unfair. many farmers have had their cows slaughtered because it was infected. i think they have a right to be pissed off if this one is allowed to live.

[Kiljan Arslan]

Well theres nothing there about isolating the cow and keeping it confined.

[Sher Khan]

Farm Unions and Politicians. Great. Awesome.

Mycobacterium bovis spreads from livestock to livestock, and can wipe out whole herds.

This cow, however, is not part of a herd, and unless it's next to some farm, poses little to no danger to farms. At best, it poses a slight risk to the humans handling the creature.

But short of drinking its unpastuerized milk, there's very little chance of it jumping the species barrier and becoming Mycobacterium tuberculosis.


Not that it wouldn't be a good idea to put it down, but the doomsday reactions from these unions and AMs are almost comical, and only highlight that the debate about bovine TB are far from cut-and-dry, one-sided issues.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Yeah it doesn't seem like there's much cause for concern that this cow could spread the disease to other herds.

[Syron]

You're missing the point. The cow was not saved because it wasn't considered a threat. It was saved because some judge believed that the "human right" to worship a cow is more important than disease control.

It's effectively the same as saying it's right for the Catholic Church to oppose condoms because not "spilling your seed" is more important than preventing the spread of HIV and other STI's.

Now you wouldn't support that would you Ferrets?

[removeduser_487563287433]

Just because I criticise the Pope for killing thousands by advocating no use of contraception doesn't mean I'm going to barge into Catholic bedrooms and try to invoke their freedom of religion.

[Sher Khan]

That is incorrect, if not purely speculative. It was saved only because the high court judged that the assembly government acted unlawfully when ordering its slaughter.

The news piece does not go into any further details on why the court ruled that, it only recounted the steps taken by both sides preceding the high court, but nothing on the actual trial. Just some further rhetoric by farmers unions and their representatives.

[Syron]

Just because I criticise the Pope for killing thousands by advocating no use of contraception doesn't mean I'm going to barge into Catholic bedrooms and try to invoke their freedom of religion.

True, but it isn’t against the law to not wear a condom. It is for a TB infected cow to live…….

That is incorrect, if not purely speculative. It was saved only because the high court judged that the assembly government acted unlawfully when ordering its slaughter.

The news piece does not go into any further details on why the court ruled that, it only recounted the steps taken by both sides preceding the high court, but nothing on the actual trial. Just some further rhetoric by farmers unions and their representatives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6898460.stm

Earlier on Monday, His Honour Judge Gary Hickinbottom said: "This judgement does not, of course, guarantee that, as the community wish, Shambo will live until he dies a natural death.

'Wrong approach'

"This judgement merely rules that the decisions of 3 May and 3 July to issue the slaughter notice and to pursue the slaughter under that notice were unlawful and will be quashed."

The assembly government, he added, "have adopted the wrong approach in this case" and would now have to reconsider the matter.

"They will be obliged to reconsider the public health objectives that underlie behind the surveillance and slaughter policy, and come to a view as to whether, in the reasonable pursuit of those objectives, the slaughter of this animal (or some less intrusive measure) would be proportional given the serious infringement of the community's rights under Article Nine that slaughter would involve."

Wrong, try again.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Syron this isn't the first time in history that two laws have contradicted one another. The courts have decided that freedom of religion overrides the law that TB cows must be culled.

[Sher Khan]

Sorry? How does the above prove me wrong? (thanks for the late link, by the way...)


The judge said that only the way the government went about it was wrong, and that it would have to evaluate first the need to slaughter vs. the rights of that community.

No where does it say the judge made any decision that said public safety would take a backseat to personal rights. He only delayed the action, he did not safeguard the cow, only that it should not be killed until the above question has been answered.

[MaximiIian]

Well, Syron, if you want to get so worked up about it, why don't you go onto the guy's farm and light the cow on fire yourself, huh?

I mean, really, it's just one cow.
It's going to be isolated, and is not going to be milked or made into meat.
There's nothing big to worry about.

Especially for me.

[Chaigidel]

if they keep the cow "inspector approved" isolated so to speak I see no reason why they shouldnt be able to keep the infected cow it will die eventually and as long as its kept isolated I dont see a problem.