32-year-old annual charity event stopped as being disrespectful to a dead fish. Animal rights nut jobs rejoice.

In the English town of Lyme Regis, Dorset, for 32 years running (until 2006) they have held an event called Lifeboat Week. The event being run by the Royal Navy Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), which as it sounds like it does, saves human lives (to the tune of around 22 lives per day. [1]). As part of their fund raising efforts they would have a Conger Cuddling contest. The Conger is a fish, plentiful off the coast of England, quite tasty I hear. The idea of the contest, typical of British eccentricity, is that people stand on flowerpots and have to dodge a fish being swung at them on a rope. The team that has the most members still standing on their flowerpots at the end of the game, wins. [2].

The fish are donated by anglers who instead of eating them, chose to donate some of their catch to be frozen specifically for this charity event.

That was until an animal rights activist sent an anonymous email stating that this charity event was “disrespectful” to the fish, and furthermore, if the event was not cancelled this activist would unleash the hounds of hell in a campaign against the Lifeboat Institution to boycott its fundraising efforts. Proving once again that liberals hold animals as being more important that human life.

First, the email was anonymous. We’re not even talking about a “campaigner” who was even willing to identify themselves. Secondly, the fish was already dead. Would it have been any different to drive down to the local supermarket and pick out a fish from the display case? Thirdly, how the heck can you be disrespectful to a fish in the first place? Is it possible to offend a cheeseburger? Can you insult a strip of bacon? Once it’s dead, food is food! You can’t hurt the feelings of pork chop for goodness sake. Do I even need another point? Oh yes, this event was to raise money to save human lives, silly me for thinking that might be important.

So did the RNLI laugh as they hit the delete key? Not quite. As ludicrous as this self-professed activist demand was, the RNLI immediately put an end to the Conger Cuddling event. Why? Because of the culture of fear and intimidation that the leftist activists have permeated throughout England, as they have throughout Europe in general. The status quo have become so cow-towed that they are terrified of standing up to even so much as an anonymous email threat made over the internet concerning an already dead fish.

That's how much power they they have, how much fear they can wield. This is where we will end up, if we allow leftist activists in the United States enough ground that their tail starts wagging our dog.


Jonathan RF Cooke
September 11th, 2007

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References
1. www.rnli.org.uk website.
2. Daily Mail, 28th July 2006.