I can’t tell you how delighted I am that four thugs – operating as Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty – have been found guilty of a campaign of blackmail that included spreading the filthiest lies about scientists and other workers, spraypainting their houses, subjecting them to bomb threats, and other disgusting and criminal activities.
A few years ago, a friend and I spent a jolly afternoon arguing on Oxford Street with these loons. We’re not sure, but we think that Gavin Medd-Hall – one of the convicted criminals – was one of those we argued with.
It was an entertaining afternoon. We learned a lot from them.
For example, did you know that there are already replacements for all forms of animal experimentation? Techniques involving computer models and lab grown tissue samples could be substituted for every experiment currently conducted on animals. They would be infinitely cheaper than experimenting on live rats. Actually – they’d be better. Because all animal experimentation is incredibly misleading, and produces mistaken results.
I offered to buy them a shelf company, through which they could sell these alternatives. I told them that, if they were right, they’d become overnight billionaires. But they declined my offer. Apparently, a ‘conspiracy’ would stop them from succeeding. Indeed, so they told me, the only reason that animal experimentation has not been replaced by these alternatives is that there is a huge conspiracy involving animal breeders, pharmaceutical companies and, er, companies that manufacture cages.
Apparently.
We also had a nice conversation with a wild eyed lady, who told us that even though she had been cured of a life threatening disease – she didn’t specify which – by drugs that had been tested on animals, she would rather have died. I asked her whether she would save a rat or a child from a burning house, if she could only save one of the two. She told me that she would save “which ever was physically closer to her”.
I wonder if any of these SHACers will “do a Barry Horne“.
As we prepared to leave, the man who we think was probably Gavin Medd-Hall encouraged my us to leave our home addresses. “We’d like to send you some literature”, he said.
I’m glad we said no.
