Are Single Issue Campaigns Really That Bad?

Of all the campaigns undertaken within the animal advocacy movement, the single issue campaign is the most common.

Supporters of this type of campaigning justify their continued use by saying things like at least we are doing something, every little bit helps, baby steps, and the old faithful one, the world won’t go vegan overnight.

Whilst there really isn’t anything to argue about when single focus groups launch these campaigns, they do leave a rather unpleasant taste in the mouth when they are promoted by so-called vegan or animal rights groups.

When these groups focus on a single cause as something that is more important than what other animals are enduring, they are literally elevating the status of those animals above all others.

Take for example some of the recent campaigns by local vegan and/or animal rights groups, and how their activities are likely to cause confusion among those who care about animals.

One moment they are protesting Lennon Bros Circus’ use of lions and exotic animals, yet so far I haven’t heard a mention of a protest, let alone media campaign about Hudsons Circus’ use of Macaws, Buffalo, Llamas, Zebras or horses in their shows. Though this could be because their focus is on greyhounds.

This implies that how the lions are kept and used is more important than Macaws, Buffalo, Llamas, Zebras or horses, with a few greyhounds being more important than all of them.

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Logan Greyhounds. NIMBY Or Genuine Concern?

12485233_sThe news of the green light being given to the proposed greyhound track at Underwood has seen a flurry of movement from a large number of animal protection groups.

There is a billboard sign on the M1 at Shailer Park protesting the “killing of greyhounds for gambling”, Animal Liberation Queensland has an e-petition registered with the Qld gov, and I am sure there will be a protest or two organised in the coming weeks/months.

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Why bother even protesting anymore?

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Gold Coast City Council Mayor Tom Tate refused to allow a plan to hold a vote on the use of exotic animals in circuses on council land comes the announcement that Queensland will be the first state in Australia to hold Quarter Horse races.

Premier Newman made the announcement at the Houston Rodeo, which he visited as part of his trade tour of the US.

Whilst Premier Newman is of the belief that animal racing forms part of tourism to Queensland, which he has designated as one of the four pillars for growth, the promise of an investment of $60 Million dollars into the Mary Valley region would have helped seal the deal.

For those who may have forgotten, the Mary Valley region was the area that was resumed by the Beattie/Bligh regime for the failed Traveston Crossing Dam proposal.

The Australian Quarter Horse Racing Development Pty Ltd also appears to have reached an ‘agreement’ to purchase a 1,600 hectare property in the Mary Valley.

I wonder if we will see the usual 1% to make it right protests at these races?

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About The Race That Stops A Nation.

Yesterday saw the running of the 153rd Melbourne Cup. A day that was attended by approx 104,000 people, and possibly watched by over 6 million Australians. It was also the day that saw a horse killed, Verema – due to a broken leg, and two others injured, Black Panther and Green Moon. It was unfortunate in … Read more