A reply to Sport Seoul’s article, “Fraudulent case of animal protection advocates”

[Guest guest]

The piece below was written by KAPS member Jeong Suk

Park. (A special Thank You to Kim Singer for his

beautiful proofreading.) She wrote it in response to a

Korean newspaper article that presented the dog meat

issue as an example of East/West conflict. The

reality, however, is that the strongest opposition to

the consumption of dog meat comes from within Asia

itself. Many caring Asians who grew up actually

witnessing its negative effects are viscerally opposed

to it. A forum in the Korean (and, indeed, the

western) media, reflecting the views of the many

Asians who are calling for an end to the dog meat

trade, is now long overdue.

 

 

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My reaction to Sport Seoul’s article, “Fraudulent case

of animal protection advocates”

 

By Jeong Suk Park:

 

 

Firstly, I must show due regard to the reporter for

his efforts. He must surely have spent at least a day

or two on his research in order to produce such a

worthless and ill-informed article.

 

When you study a passage of writing, you can usually

get a sense early on of the author’s motivation.

Accordingly, when reading this article, I was soon

reminded that one of the most disingenuous forms of

writing is that which is not based on the author’s own

experience. An article, for example, that cobbles

together lists of unrelated or irrelevant facts purely

in order to support the author’s own position, is a

valueless endeavour designed to mislead rather than

inform the reader.

 

No one who has ever owned and loved a dog could

possibly have written this article. It is clear that

the author simply has no concept of the emotions that

dogs experience, or any idea of their true nature. The

reporter says, “They (the animal protection advocates)

seek to bestow upon dogs a special acquittal

certificate simply because they have a closer

relationship with humans than most other animals. They

even claim that dogs are ‘man’s friends’.”

 

It’s unlikely that someone with such a jaundiced

attitude to the subject matter will ever be able to

understand or appreciate the remarkable relationship

that does indeed exist between humans and dogs. Dog

lovers, on the other hand, are very aware of just how

important a role their beloved companions perform as

friends of the human race. After all, why shouldn’t we

be “friends” with dogs? This concept is problematic

only for those whose closed minds preclude them from

even considering that genuine friendship across the

species is attainable. Whenever the weekend weather

permits, we see that children like to take their dogs

outside to play with them. One simply has to observe

the joyous way they interact, and the fact that the

children and their furry companions are firm friends

becomes clear for all to see.

 

I don’t know precisely how many dog lovers there are

in this country, but I do know that a great many

people in my own community clearly live a happy life

very largely because of their dogs. The patently

special relationship that exists between mankind and

dogs is more than enough reason to afford them a

special “acquittal certificate”. The deep bond that

exists between dogs and humans is profound and quite

possibly unique, and certainly something that has been

well documented throughout history.

 

Human beings are the most powerful species ever to

walk the earth. It is my contention that if we cannot

feel compassion for those weaker than ourselves then

eventually all life on earth will be put at risk, with

grave implications even for world peace. For once, let

us not apply the principle of ‘survival of the

fittest’ to our world. There are humans who will eat

virtually anything - on what they regard as “health”

grounds – and as a result they have already become a

threat to parts of the world’s finely balanced

ecosystem. Wherever possible in the future, we should

tailor our actions in a way that is mindful of the

need to secure the future of all forms of life.

 

As for dog meat consumption, many people both here and

abroad already object strongly to the practice. This

is especially so among young people. Is that not

enough reason to ban it? Don’t we already have enough

animals for the dinner table? Why introduce a law that

will cause so much heartache for so many people who

love dogs? Why do some people continue to promote the

fallacy that dog meat consumption is an issue of

cultural heritage or national pride?

 

A father who would slaughter and then consume a dog

that is much loved by his children would quite

inexcusably be causing them anguish and sorrow. Such

acts of cruelty are unacceptable in a civilised

society and they should thus be exposed and

prohibited, wherever they exist.

 

I now challenge Sports Seoul to send their reporter to

a place where dog slaughter takes place. They will

then experience the fear and misery of the animals

involved and, as a result, may produce an article of

some substance. If Sports Seoul does not wish to be

regarded as a publication of dubious merit, they must

ensure their reporters are at least suitably informed

about the subjects upon which they write.

 

In conclusion, I believe the way forward is not to

regard the dog meat issue as a challenge to our

culture. That is to say, we should not support moves

to legalise and promote dog meat on the flawed premise

that our national pride is at stake. Instead, we must

understand that the dog meat debate is a challenge and

a test of our true culture, and the reality is that

the most effective resolution to this whole issue

could be achieved simply by rooting out this odious

practice.

 

 

 

 

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Friends of dogs

http://www.friendsofdogs.net

Dogs brighten our life with their gift of love. It is our turn to help our dogs.

Please help organisations who are fighting to get dogs out of the food chain.

 

http://www.koreananimals.org/

http://www.animalsasia.org/

http://www.linisgobyerno.org/special_projects.htm

 

 

 

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