March 27th, 2006
Morrissey calls for Canadian boycott
Morrissey has released a statement via True To You stating that he will not include Canada on his current tour due to a seal-culling policy in place there. He also urges people to boycott Canadian goods. The statement in full reads:
“We will not include any Canadian dates on our world tour to promote our new album. This is in protest against the barbaric slaughter of over 325,000 baby seals which is now underway. I fully realise that the absence of any Morrissey concerts in Canada is unlikely to bring the Canadian economy to its knees, but it is our small protest against this horrific slaughter - which is the largest slaughter of marine animal species found anywhere on the planet.
The Canadian Prime Minister says the so-called “cull” is economically and environmentally justified, but this is untrue. The seal population has looked after itself for thousand of years without human intervention, and, as the world knows, this slaughter is about one thing only: making money. The Canadian government will stream all of the pelts into the fashion industry and this is the reason why the baby seals are killed with spiked clubs that crush their skulls - any damage to their pelts is avoided. The Canadian Prime Minister also states that the slaughter is necessary because it provides jobs for local communities, but this is an ignorant reason for allowing such barbaric and cruel slaughter of beings that are denied life simply because somebody somewhere might want to wear their skin.
Construction of German gas chambers also provided work for someone - this is not a moral or sound reason for allowing suffering. If you can, please boycott Canadian goods. It WILL make a difference. As things stand, Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation.”
March 27th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Are the whales out of fashion then?
March 27th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
I saw a particularly horrible photo of a cull this morning in the Metro. Is there not a better way of dealing with this rather than using blunt weapons?
March 28th, 2006 at 10:08 am
hmmm…Nazi gas chambers? Bashing seals ?..now there’s a comparison…
I hope he hasn’t heard about the unofficial seal ‘cull’ in Kerry or he won’t be coming to Ireland either….
March 28th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
While I don’t disagree with Morrisey’s opposition to the slaughter of baby seals, I find his assertion that Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation completely ridiculous. Is he talking purely on the basis of animal cruelty?
I recently read an article which quoted Morrisey championing the cause of animal rights activists. In the article he came in for severe criticism because he refused to condemn acts of violence against people who work in laboratories which engage in testing drugs on animals. I found his willingness to accept such threats to other human beings because of their actions, whether he agrees with them or not, distasteful and of an extremist nature. Based on the above article, that assertion has definitely been reaffirmed.
March 28th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
I was just going to say that comparing gas chambers to killing seals is a stretch too far, but John beat me to it
March 29th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
China - executions in football stadiums and massive human rights abuses.
Canada - bashing some useless fucking seals.
Hard to compare. However, had Morrissey said “Not only do they club little baby seals to death they are also responsible for Bryan Adams, Avril Lavigne and Joni fucking Mitchell” then I’d have been right behind him, figuratively speaking of course.
March 30th, 2006 at 9:58 pm
Morrissey’s getting pretty damn judgemental and opinionated these days.
Is he a blogger, by any chance?
April 2nd, 2006 at 2:54 am
“Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation”. What happened to USA bashing? Maybe the Canadians are using Louisville Slugger baseball bats, made in Kentucky, USA. It just isn’t fair to name someone else as worst in the world…
April 26th, 2006 at 1:18 am
Thank you for taking a stand. How can we call ourselves civilized when we stooop to slaughtering the most helpless of creatures? How can they call it a hunt? Walking up to a defenseless animal and clubbing it to death is nothing short of murder! As of several weeks before the “hunts” began, Canada had already lost 150 million in seafood sales. How can they compare 5 to 15 million in seal pelts to a several billion dollar a year business of exporting seafood. I may never buy Canadian again. To all those critical of Morrissey, it is obvious that you are a bunch of redneck losers!! Go back to your double wide trailers and pick up trucks and have another beer.