Schoolchildren vote 13-1 to slaughter lamb Marcus (1 Viewer)

[Azarnakumar]

Schoolchildren vote 13-1 to slaughter lamb Marcus

From correspondents in London
Reuters
September 15, 2009 08:56am

A GROUP of schoolchildren who reared a lamb from birth and named it Marcus have overridden objections by parents and rights activists and voted to send the animal to slaughter.
Marcus the six-month-old lamb has now been culled, the head teacher of the primary school in Kent confirmed yesterday, after the school's council - a 14-member group of children aged six to 11 - voted 13-1 to have him killed.

The decision has provoked fury among animal-loving celebrities, animal and human rights campaigners and the parents of some of the children, and led to threats against Lydd primary school and its teachers, according to a member of staff.

Around 250 children at the school take part in a program designed to teach them about rearing and breeding animals.

The educational farm was started this year, with Marcus being hand-fed by the children.
The children also look after ducks, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs.

The intention had been to buy pigs with the money raised from slaughtering Marcus, but those plans have been put on hold following the furor created by the lamb's culling.
The school said the program may now have to be stopped.

"It's all up in the air," said a member of staff.
"There's been so much pressure on us as a result of all this."

Despite that, the school said there had been overwhelming support among the children, the staff and most of the parents to have Marcus - a castrated male who could not have been used for breeding - sent to the slaughterhouse.

But opponents branded it heartless and cruel, with animal rights campaigners asking why Marcus could not have been used to teach the children about wool, and human rights campaigners worried about the emotional impact of Marcus's death on the children.

A popular talkshow host offered to buy the lamb and give it sanctuary and Facebook groups sprung up to rally support to keep Marcus alive.
But the children had the final say.
The school defended the children's decision, calling it educational.

"When we started the farm in spring 2009, the aim was to educate the children in all aspects of farming life and everything that implies," the school said.

"The children have had a range of opportunities to discuss this issue, both in terms of the food cycle and the ethical aspect.
"It is important for everyone to move on from this issue, so the children can focus on their education."

Schoolchildren vote 13-1 to slaughter lamb Marcus | World Breaking News | News.com.au







Good on them imo. We breed animals to eat (and other things) lol atleast some school kids know this

 

[Kwayera]

Wtf? There's a news article on this? Every year my old high school gets two steers, fattens them up, and shows them at the Easter Show - alive and dead. What's the big deal?

 

[saberbladexx]

LOL, those are some effed up kids i tell ya.

 

[yoddle]

What the fuuuuuck

Most of those who created the "furore" would eat meat on a daily basis.

Just because they actually see the animal its suddenly abhorrent. grr

 

[Riet]

These kids are awesome

 

[Napstar]

Around 250 children at the school take part in a program designed to teach them about rearing and breeding animals.

We get this cute little lamb and we breed it nice and big and fat and then we let it go to frolic in the pastures for the rest of its life, because we all know that meat comes from the shops not from animals

 

[Uncle]

I think these children are on the right track.
They realise meat does not magically appear at supermarkets or on their plate.

LOL, those are some effed up kids i tell ya.

you and that retarded anime called naruto are effed up.

 

[SashatheMan]

The kids have a taste for death. The bloodthirst will only grow from here, next thing you know they will be voting to send the foreign kids they don't like to death camps.

 

[Azarnakumar]

do you mean bloodlust

 

[jessiminica]

See, if we didn't have slaughterhouses, we wouldn't have this problem.

Seriously though, that creeps me out a bit.

 

[jessiminica]

Because the kids recognise that lambs arent just pets that share the same name with what they had for dinner last night?

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

because they're willing to kill something that they've formed a personal connection with, and have nurtured since it was young.

This whole thing is just... >p

 

[Azarnakumar]

lol what
who said they formed a connection with it
even if they did, obviously these small children are smart enough to realise that it was raised by them to eventually be killed.

i mean come on, give them some credit.

 

[Napstar]

Dude we made friends with animals that we eventually killed. We used to poke the guts with sticks and keep the hearts in a jar.

Look how we turned out.

Awesome.

 

[JonathanM]

These kids are awesome

Sif they sold it and missed out on the lamb.

 

[Tangent]

How could you not grow attached to sometihng you raised from birth???
Its scary that a majority of the kids want it to be sent to the slaughter, do they even know what that means???

If they do, than i have to take my hat off to them. They have understood that this is how society is, and the meat doesnt come from the supermarket. I find it sad that they have lost their innocence though

 

[Kwayera]

How could you not grow attached to sometihng you raised from birth???
Its scary that a majority of the kids want it to be sent to the slaughter, do they even know what that means???

If they do, than i have to take my hat off to them. They have understood that this is how society is, and the meat doesnt come from the supermarket. I find it sad that they have lost their innocence though

It's nothing about innocence - that's crap and you know it. How do you think kids on real livestock farms live? Are they tainted like apparently these kids are?

Grow up.

 

[Tangent]

It's nothing about innocence - that's crap and you know it. How do you think kids on real livestock farms live? Are they tainted like apparently these kids are?

Grow up.

I didn't say they were tainted at all. Just for kids to be confronted with death like that... I guess its different to having pets around the home.

Why do i need to grow up?

 

[Kwayera]

Because you're assuming that these kids aren't mature enough to be "confronted with death" and that understanding the circle of life and the cycle of livestock is a bad thing.

 

[Tangent]

Ahhh, i see now.
I guess it's just my ideals conflicting with my logic. I think its good they are learning about the circle of life. I was just saddened by the fact that most of them want to have the lamb killed.

It might sound stupid, but it still affects me that way

 

[DavidBenGurion]

I think everyone here should realise that the hypocracy of eating meat and not knowing where it comes from doesn't nessecarily make eating meat right.

You all are MURDEROUS!