We notice there has been a volley of questions at Holyrood on the coat tails of Monday night’s BBC Scotland piece on greyhound racing.
We’ve always been sceptical, to say the least, about the motives behind these parliamentary questions. We certainly don’t believe that they’re fuelled by a burning desire to right a wrong.
The pantomime is usually acted out something like this;
“Parliament understands that the situation regarding the use of (insert species) in (insert circumstances) is unacceptable (insert a few examples)/ To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing about (insert subject)”.
The answer is more often than not along the lines of “The Scottish Government doesn’t give two ….. . Next”
And that’s it. Job done, no hard work, brownie points received. Suffering continues.
Repeat.
We’re going to give these people a nugget of information so no more time’s wasted; Government doesn’t care. If they did you wouldn’t be asking the question.
But we think they already know that.
This showboating is usually deployed by politicians who were in with the bricks. They’ve been there long enough to have made sure something was done before now. If they really wanted to.
We’ll be charitable for a minute. Let’s say, on the other hand, they believe that they’re trying their very best but are genuinely powerless to stop cruelty and abuse in the face of the machinery of state.
If this is the case then they should leave the building pulling it, metaphorically, down behind them, and fight for justice on the ground.
Either that or do the right thing, and move aside for people with a real fight in them.
But again, we’re sceptical.
That 63 grand plus everything else you can get your hands on, and that wee sense of power, is maybe far too appetising for some to let principle get in the way.
There will be (few, mind) politicians in there who deep down want it to end. But taking a back seat to stay in the career game isn’t good enough.
Get on your feet, get them told, and don’t let go until they’re beaten. Both you and the victims will feel the better for it.
Taking into account the almost incomprehensible horror they endure every day the length and breadth of our country animals don’t need patter, they need a revolution.
A better tomorrow can’t be won unless together we resolve to not only remove those responsible for the suffering, but also those in power who enable them.
Photo courtesy of Ayrshire Animal Save