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13 October 2003 Remember the Second World War and Jewish expellees from Europe drifting in ships? Their ships, like today's economic refugees, plied the seas looking and searching for a haven, a refuge, a home. Palestine was the dream, of home, of sanctuary. As the unwelcomed ships berthed, the men hid anywhere they could and sent the most vulnerable to face the enemy. They sent their women and children ahead into the arms of the British occupation force whose job it was to beat them back - which they did! Humanity - oh, humanity - Australia's sheep have no voice, no choice, are only animals and thus not worthy of respect. Wrong! The first thing Adolf Hitler did upon gaining power was to ensure that a humane slaughter code entered the German legal code, against the kosher/hallal directives. History is repeating itself - the world's refugees are hurting as much as the locals who are confronted by their presence. Then there is the hurt and pain and the tragic exploitation of this pain by those who are comfortably off, watching and directing from their secure base the interests of self. That is not enough - self is nothing without family, and family is community, and community is nation! Read on:
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*Producers pushing for slaughter of sheep*
ABC Newsmail 13 October 2003
Australian livestock producers have increased their efforts to keep the sheep stranded on board the Cormo Express from returning to Australia. The National Farmers Federation, the Cattle Council, the Sheepmeat Council and WoolProducers have united in a bid to convince the Federal Government to slaughter the 50,000 sheep at sea if no country comes forward to take them. But the Government is standing firm that slaughter at sea is the least preferred option. A delegation has arrived in Canberra and wants to meet Prime Minister John Howard later today. NFF president Peter Corish says Meat and Livestock Australia has done an audit of the Cormo Express, which shows slaughter at sea is possible and will take around 10 days. He says government committees are now looking at that proposal. "And hopefully they will in our view change their position in the next day or so on what can happen and what should happen to the sheep," he said. Meanwhile, the Government says the Cormo Express will start heading for the Cocos Islands later this week, where the ship will be cleaned and disinfected. If no country has come forward to take the sheep and tests show they are free of disease, they will most likely be taken to Western Australia to be unloaded.
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