6th June, 2002
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
From Canada
Dear Michael,
Just a short note from the new Mr & Mrs Lough (formerly Orla
McGinn, Shamrock Lawn) to thank you for printing some of our
wedding snaps in the Douglas Weekly. We were pleasantly surprised
when we got back from honeymoon to see ourselves not only in
black and white but colour also!!!!! At the moment these are the
only wedding pictures we have as we are waiting on a big shipment
from Ireland, so we do really appreciate the reminder! Speaking
of appreciation I would like to extend our thanks to Aer Lingus
for looking after us on our return flight to Canada in particular
Claire O'Shaughnassy who after seeing our pictures in the Douglas
Weekly knew we were honeymooners and tried to get us drunk at 7.30
in the morning! Thanks Claire - it made our trip so much more
pleasant.
Keep up the good work at the Weekly - it's so nice when you're
away from home that you can log onto the website and keep up to
date with life in Douglas, although I do have one crib which is
that the website isn't updated as quickly as the issues come out.
Regards to all in Douglas - maybe we'll be seeing some of you
soon in Toronto!
Orla Lough,
Ontario, Canada
Thank You Douglas Lions
Dear Michael,
Just a note to let you know that the people who went on the
Trabologan Holiday, sponsored by the Douglas Lions. Despite the
wet-wet weather, had a wonderful time and a great holiday and
wish to thank the Douglas Lions for their help and great efforts
on our behalf.
Signed
Douglas Senior Citizens
( Name and address with Editor)
Animal Rights
Dear Editor
A major victory for animal rights has been recently been achieved
in Germany. This country has become the first European nation to
vote to guarantee animal rights in its constitution. A majority
of lawmakers in the Bundestag recently voted to add "and
animals" to a clause that obliges the state to respect and
protect the dignity of humans.
The main impact of the measure will be to restrict the use of
animals in experiments. 543 lawmakers in Germany's Lower House of
Parliament votes in favour of giving animals constitutional
rights. Nineteen voted against it and 15 abstained. The vote is
expected to be approved by the Bundesrat Upper House this summer.
Article 20a of the German Basic Law will then read, "The
state takes responsibility for protecting the natural foundations
of life and animals in the interest of future generations".
The issue has been keenly debated among German politicians for
almost ten years. Animals in Germany already are protected
through legislation defining the conditions in which they can be
held in captivity, but animal rights activists claimed it did not
go far enough to control the use of animals in research.
With the new measure the federal constitutional court will have
to weigh animals rights against other entrenched rights, like
those to conduct research or practice religion. This could
translate into bringing tighter restrictions on the use of
animals for testing cosmetics or non-prescription drugs.
Germany's Consumer Affairs Minister, Renate Kunast, a member of
the environmentalist Green party that has lobbied for many years
to bring animal rights into the constitution welcomed the changes
as groundbreaking but emphasised it would not diminish human
rights.
Germany, which has a history of progressive animal rights
thinking, has stolen a march on the rest of its EU partners. It
exposes how Ireland with its state approval for animal cruelty
via bloodsports, the live animal export trade, vivisection etc is
out of step on modern thinking towards the issue of animal rights/welfare.
But the tide of change is slowly washing up on Ireland's blood
soaked shores. Someday Irish society will be defined as a society
that accepts, protects and defends the rights of all its members,
both human and non-human.
Yours.
John Tierney
Campaigns Director-Association of Hunt Saboteurs
PO Box 4734
Dublin 1
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