'Fish blender' not cruel - court

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

'Fish blender' not cruel - court

Monday, May 19, 2003 Posted: 1816 GMT ( 2:16 AM HKT)

 

 

Meyer with the "fish blender" exhibit

 

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- A Danish art museum director was acquitted of animal cruelty charges Monday after a court ruled that a display featuring goldfish inside working blenders was not cruel.

 

The display at the Trapholt Art Museum in Kolding featured 10 blenders and invited visitors to blend the fish if they wanted to. Somebody did in early 2000 -- and two goldfish were ground up.

 

Animals right activists complained that the exhibit was cruel. Museum director Peter Meyer was fined $315 by police, but he refused to pay and went on trial in Kolding, 125 miles west of the capital, Copenhagen.

 

Judge Preben Bagger ruled Monday that Meyer did not have to pay the fine because the fish were killed "instantly" and "humanely."

 

During the two-day trial, a zoologist and a representative of blender manufacturer Moulinex said the fish likely died within a second after the blender started.

 

It was not known who turned the blenders on.

 

The installation was the work of Chilean-born Danish artist Marco Evaristti.

 

The Trapholt Art Museum draws about 80,000 visitors annually.

[Avinash]

Why do some people feel that if some creatures are killed instantly, then there is nothing cruel in it? What if a shoot a human being in such a way that he is killed instantly? Isn't it cruel?

[theist]

Avinash, in the West we have this animal welfare movement. Their idea is to make the slaughterhouses more comfortable for the animals as they await slaughter. You know bigger pens faster killing procedures.

 

Here they stun the cows with a stun gun before cutting their throats. It is a metal rod, I believe, that hits their brain. Then they hang the cow up side down on a chain and they are mechanicaly moved along to have their throats sliced and guts cut out ect. Some of the cows wake up from being improperly stunned and are cut up alive!!

 

So the animal welfare people work to improve the stun gun procedure. What can you say to them? They seem to have some sentiment for the welfare of the cow, kind of, I guess, in some very limited way, perhaps. But they still think its okay to slaughter all the cows.

 

They get very upset when animal rights activists point out their madness. They contend they really love all the animals too and consider the ARA's fanatics for wanting to shut it all down completely. They just don't get it no matter how you try to point out the absurdity of their position.

[gHari]

I suggest we put the judge's first born child into a giant blender, as exhibit A. Hand him the switch, and ask "Not cruel?"

[Guest guest]

reading this non-sense leads us back to the 16th chapter of Bhagavad-gita :

Chapter 16, Verse 7.

Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.

 

Chapter 16, Verse 10.

The demoniac, taking shelter of insatiable lust, pride and false prestige, and being thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent.

 

Chapter 16, Verse 19&20

Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.

Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.