“THE CATTLE CALL” – By Des Kelly

Many years ago, a “Country & Western” singer by the name of Eddie Arnold recorded “the cattle call”, a song that subsequently became very popular, not only because of the “introductory yodel” sung by Eddie but also movies about “Cowboys & Indians” that were very popular in the 50s era, which involved ranches, horses & cattle..

I do know the song, have sung it many times, but particularly remember the two final lines of this ballad which “jumped out at me” as I watched the A.B.C. News on television just recently.

“THE COWBOYS ARE SINGING
THEIR LONESOME CATTLE CALL”.

Australia is supposed to be “a compassionate Country”. Aussies, generally, ARE compassionate.
An “election” has just taken place and we now have a “NEW” Government. Politicians have jabbered their heads off, during what has been an overlong election campaign, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS have been “promised” for HUNDREDS of different projects, All this is very good, BUT, what about these CATTLE? . WHAT ABOUT THE “LIVE EXPORT” PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW?!!! THINK ABOUT IT.! Animals are God’s creatures too.

Why, in a Country that is certainly not SCRATCHING
for that next dollar,a Country that prides itself on BEING
compassionate, a Country that, not TOO long ago, “lived off the sheeps’ back”, a Country that takes a justifiable pride in ir’s Farmers, & Rural Areas.WHY, WHY, WHY, in Heavens name, do WE have to send our
“live export” to ANY BLOODY COUNTRY that is totally heartless ESPECIALLY with these pitiful CATTLE that were SHOWN on television recently, to be treated SO BADLY, SO HEARTLESSLY, SO DAMNED CRUELLY, it almost broke my heart. I could not watch this CURSED inhumane treatment of poor dumb animals who could only voice their agonized feeling by hoarse “brays” before they collapsed, only to die in the most stark agonizing, unbearable, unspeakable pain. WHAT HAVE THESE POOR DEFENCELESS ANIMALS DONE TO EVER DESERVE THIS? THE LEADER OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL PARTY IS A “GLIB SPEAKER” WHEN IS HE GOING TO STOP THE ROT? This is what I want to know.
WHY IS AUSTRALIA LETTING THIS HAPPEN?.

Yes, it has to be understood that MEAT is necessary for human consumption.Yes, unfortunately, we humans cannot live “by bread alone”, Yes, necessary “culls” & “slaughter” of sheep & cattle has been going on since the year “dot” YES, I DO KNOW THAT CATTLE, SHEEP, PIGS, DEER & OTHER ANIMALS LIKE THESE HAVE TO BE KILLED FOR HUMANS TO EXIST, BUT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES HAVE TO BE TORTURED BEFORE THEY ARE SLAIN. Yes, I am also aware that these “torture-merchants” are in a minority and work “under orders”,
BUT, AN EUTHANASIA NEEDLE IS ALL IT TAKES YOU BASTARDS TO DO THE JOB. Australian Governments TAKE NOTE. There are PLENTY of OTHER COUNTRIES waiting for healthy “Aussie cattle”, Sheep & “live-export”. BOYCOTT THE SWINE (sorry, all pigs), WHO MALICIOUSLY TORTURE ANIMALS BEFORE THEY KILL THEM. It starts with the merchant shipping lines, Mr.
National Party Leader. DO YOUR BLOODY JOB.!

Foxes, wild dogs, rabbits, & even bush kangaroos sometimes, are considered to be “vermin”. They DO cause untold damage to our farmers and have to be exterminated.Possums & other “rodents” are in the same “boat”. How much can a koala bear? !
Once again, I have seen television programmes that show this “exterminating” & “culling” where necessary,
done in both humane & INHUMANE ways. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, these are ANIMALS. Just a little thought, a little planning, and the problem could be solved.
Animals DO NOT plan to be pests. As an example, a wild bear might be hungry and cannot find any prey in a particular area but there is this convenient “camp”
where humans are “eating food” & having a good time.
So “Bruno” decides that he will have some of that food and nothing is going to stop him. He does’nt know any better. He is hungry and will kill to get some food. The bear is not evil, he just does what comes naturally to him. All around our rivers & lakes & certain areas of the seas around Australia, and indeed, around the World, there are STARK WARNING SIGNS ERECTED.Reptiles, crocs.,, sharks & other dangerous critters abound. HEED THE BLOODY WARNINGS PEOPLE. DO NOT ENTER THESE AREAS. You want to swim where sharks swim? , go in then, and take your chances, but if the shark who sees you IN HIS AREA, eats you, just make sure that you inform your family & friends beforehand, NOT TO GO LOOKING FOR THIS “GREAT WHITE” to kill him for eating you. TO HIM, YOU WERE JUST ANOTHER MEAL.!! . People sometimes refer to other people as”Animals”. To me, this is an insult TO THE ANIMALS. They are far superior to PEOPLE.
“People kill, just for a thrill
Animals don’t, they NEVER will”
So far, this writer has not “touched on” the subject of birds & other smaller winged creatures & insects.
DUCKS are shot at random, thankfully, just seasonally,
BUT still “shot” by BRAVE? ! people with shotguns.
If these so-called hunters are ALL “crack-shots”, it would not matter so much, I suppose. The ducks will be killed LEGALLY. But what about “other birds” hit with “buck-shot” by some cross-eyed gunman?.
Why are these birds decimated by duck-shooters?
Duck-shooting is a “sport”, the duck-shooters say.
BOLLOCKS! , most of these are simple-minded MEN who go out for the day with their shotguns, fantasizing that it is their respective mothers-in-law, they are aiming at.!. DUCK-SHOOTING SHOULD BE STOPPED.
If you feel like eating the occasional morsal of “duck”
go to your local butcher. He NEEDS your business.

“Chooks”, in person, “Poultry”, in general, should be allowed to “roam free”, not “cooped-up”, in cages, barely able to move, simply to provide eggs for us to eat. Again, these birds are slaughtered so that Kentucky can provide “fried chicken” cooked with their own special recipe. Hens get the worst part of the deal here. “FREE-RANGE” SHOULD MEAN EXACTLY THAT.
These poor birds end up providing eggs and meat anyway . While they are alive, treat them with respect and love from chicken-hood to hen-hood and, if & when they have to die, make sure they “go” as quickly as possible, not featherless & emancipated. Anyone with any brains, whatsoever,will know that a chook that has lived well provides not only a better-looking egg, but a MUCH TASTIER ONE as well.

LEAVE BUTTERFLIES TO “FLUTTER-BY. These are beautiful little creatures that DO NOT need to be “collected” in “scrap-books”, pinned down, their superb, colourful wings apart. Leave professional “Insectoligists” to find out what makes things like butterflies & dragon-flies tic. In Sri Lanka, there is a mountain named “Samanala-kanda” and every year, during a certain season, millions of little butterflies make their way to this particular “spot” , dash themselves onto the hard surface and commit suicide
Even these butterflies have much more common-sense than their human/counterparts, your suicide-bombers, wherever they come from..
Whatever they say, I DO NOT think that these poor, brain-washed idiots ever meet up with the 72 chaste
Virgins promised them if they are prepared to kill themselves. By the time these fools strap on their bombs and CHASE.their dreams, the Virgins have got fed up with waiting and are not CHASTE anymore.

Insects, in general, are born and die in comparatively,the blink of an eye. When we get the chance, we should not only “smell the roses”, we should also examine a “spider-web” to notice the sheer skill of their silk, spun, not only to “capture” a fly or two but beautifully patterned to withstand very strong gusts of wind, or “watch” an army of ants as they go about their business in regimental style, Examine the “huge” mounds that comprise the homes of the “white ants”& “termites”in the A.B.C. of insects.
Check out a bees-hive, watch the bees fly out in their thousands to collect nectar and bring it all back to their “queen”, who sits there just making baby bees.
All this results in the glorious sweet natural honey,
the only product in the world that will never go “off”
Let these insects live. They serve a purpose & the world will be far worse off without them.

Thus, we come back (finally) to “C”. “The Cattle call”
KILL, CULL, SLAUGHTER OR SLAY(If you must), BUT
CARRY IT OUT IN A HUMANE WAY
THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING, SO ERE THEY “FALL”
THINK OF MY STORY, “THE CATTLE CALL”.