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Animal Abuse

of moral principles. However, there
are a flourishing number of individuals
and organizations that are promoting
animal welfare. In Vancouver, we
have the Vancouver Humane Society
and worldwide there is the eminent
People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA)—to name a couple.
Unfortunately, there still exists an
excess bulk of people that hold too
much authority without heart, and far
too many of us remain indifferent.

To stop this trend of animal abuse
we must halt our brute ways if we
are directly harming animals. If we
are implicitly harming animals or
supporting individuals that abuse them,
then we must sacrifice our habits to
establish a just environment. That
means boycotting aquariums, circuses,
rodeos, zoos, select farms, ceasing
purchase of animal-fur products, and
surrendering cars keys in exchange for
an unprecedented breath of fresh air. It
also means coupling with animal rights
groups, promoting animal. welfare and
being on the lookout for any conduct
that defies common moral principles
that we are all aware-of. Additionally,
children, the prospective iron fists
of tomorrow’s battle with animal

cruelty, must truly comprehend the
matter. They see dolphins “smiling,”
spryly leaping in the air, splashing the
audience with a flood of water; ““what
a festive event,” they think. They sit as
spectators of elephants who stand on
hind legs and tigers hurdling through
rings of fire, before the vast audience.
“It’s justified,” they think; “everybody
is content and there’s no protest.” The
animals are not merry and content,
however, and children, essential to the
future survival and welfare of animals,
must come to know this as soon as
possible. It’s essential to teach children
to make a positive contribution to the
world instead of being under the wrong
impression.

Some statistics that PETA has
revealed substantiate the void of
progress in battling and diminishing
animal cruelty and animal neglect
and prove the denial, apathy, and
self-centeredness that yet exist in the
modern world. For example, in horse
and bull events (rodeos), straps or
ropes are tightly tied around a bull’s or
horse’s abdomen, which in turn musters
a plunging reaction, characteristic of
difficulty breathing —some former
animal control officers have even

 

Continued from Page 16

Coach van Neikerk

One look around Gert’s office
is enough to tell the tale of his highly
successful career. The walls of his office
are adorned with the medals of his
superior golf team.

Because of BCCAA’s decision
to break up the golf division— which
just reformed last year— Gert took
his team to Northwest Athletic
Association of Community Colleges
(NWAACC), which competes out of
Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, where
the competition is much better than the
BCCAA ever was. The Douglas College
wrestling and baseball teams also
compete out of NWAACC.

Gert twice led Douglas to the
conference championship, and placed
third in the All-States. However, what
really drew Gert and the rest of Douglas
to NWAACC was their unfailing
commitment to fairness and equality.
“We found that a really attractive
feature from NWAACC was that they
allowed women’s teams and established
strong women’s programs,” says van
Niekerk. “In fact, Lindsay Manion, in
golf, has a very good chance to win
the All-State this year. A very good
chance,” he adds enthusiastically.

Perhaps Gert’s greatest attribute
as a coach is his wonderful way with
people. You’d have to search the world
over to find a person with a negative

thing to say about him. Former players

and students have described him as the -

type of person you’d want to have as
your father.

“Gert is a fabulous guy,” says
ex-rugby player Russ Laurie. “He was
a great manager of people, and he truly
got the absolute best out of people. He
was the type of guy that players wanted
to play for, because he’s been there
before. When he talked, people listened
to him. I can honestly say that the
Douglas Rugby Club would never have
happened without him.”

So what is the most rewarding
thing for Coach van Niekerk? What is
his career highlight? One of his many
championships perhaps? No, for Gert
van Niekerk, its all about the team.

“My favourite thing about
coaching is seeing the players develop
and improve throughout the years.

I really enjoy meeting players after
they’ve gone from Douglas. I love
when guys say to me ‘hey Gert,

those were great years, you know,

you really made it fun for us.’ To me,
winning championships is just a bonus.
Developing a real sense of camaraderie
and forging lasting relationships, that’s
the most important thing.”

And that might just be the
most impressive thing about Gert van
Niekerk of all.

found irritants under flank straps. In the
annual Calgary Stampede there have
been at least two consecutive years of
animal casualties; one year, six animals
died, including a horse who suffered
an aneurysm. In the ensuing six years
another six animals died: five horses
and a calf. In other select countries,
feathers are live-plucked from geese for
down. Up to five ounces of feathers are
pulled from every bird every six weeks,
from the time that they are ten weeks
old until they are up to four years old.
Moreover, it is known that animals are
physically abused in zoos. An elephant
named Rose-Tu in the Oregon Zoo,
once suffered 176 gashes and cuts due
to a zoo handler utilizing a sharp metal
rod. Additionally, a British study of deer
hunting found that 11 percent of deer
who had been killed by hunters died
only after being shot two or more times,
and that some wounded deer suffered
for more than 15 minutes before dying.
Finally, regarding global warming,
summer sea ice will plummet an
alarming 50-100 percent over the next
50-100 years, which in turn will reduce
the polar bear population by 30 percent
over the next 45 years.

It seems that our human morality

THURSDAY *
is ad.

STUDENT
NIGHT!

 

 

is diminishing and, if anything, shows
few signs of historic improvement.
Was it not in the time of gladiators,
when cheers and applause would
accompany a coliseum where men
butchered animals? Men and women
would gather to witness the beloved
gore, blood galore on the vast grounds,
helpless yelps resonating about the
gratified crowds. Yet today, while some
may scorn that tradition, they partake in
another, where they willingly witness

a barbarous pursuit of a young and
bewildered calf frantically sprinting for
his life and the vicious roping of the
anxious animal. This is our tradition
today, drawing immense spectators.
While the masses gather to watch
explicit animal brutality, animal rights
demonstrators are being tackled off the
stage in showcases of models in animal
fur. What have we come to?

UA ey

WATERFRONT LOUNGE

 

TUNE
TWISTER

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