Stooshie between Wick and Foaroes town Klasvick

[Murdo]

If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else. Live in a city where milk comes from supermarkets and you can buy lots of cheap clothes made by children and slave labour. Join the RSPB who are protecting raptors because they look so magnificent but are decimating the numbers of small birds.

[cptdodger]

If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else. Live in a city where milk comes from supermarkets and you can buy lots of cheap clothes made by children and slave labour. Join the RSPB who are protecting raptors because they look so magnificent but are decimating the numbers of small birds.

Enlighten me, where do supermarkets get the milk from ? And the clothes you buy, do you know exactly where they are made and by who?. I come from a city, and still find Whaling abhorrant, and no, I will not be living anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

[davth]

Enlighten me, where do supermarkets get the milk from ? And the clothes you buy, do you know exactly where they are made and by who?. I come from a city, and still find Whaling abhorrant, and no, I will not be living anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

Does it matter if you or I find it abhorrent?
The Faroese are not requesting that you participate in it.
We have no right to deem to them what is or is not acceptable to hunt, kill and consume.
It is their country, their fishing grounds and their traditions, we should butt out.

[cptdodger]

Does it matter if you or I find it abhorrent?
The Faroese are not requesting that you participate in it.
We have no right to deem to them what is or is not acceptable to hunt, kill and consume.
It is their country, their fishing grounds and their traditions, we should butt out.

I do'nt care who's doing it, I find it abhorrent. Wick is not telling them not to do it, they have just disassociated themselves from them and if the Faroe Islands are offended by that, tough.

[davth]

I do'nt care who's doing it, I find it abhorrent. Wick is not telling them not to do it, they have just disassociated themselves from them and if the Faroe Islands are offended by that, tough.

Wick was twinned with Klaksvík for 20 years. The Faroes have hunted whales since time began.
Why be twinned in the 1st place?
Has Wick just realised that whaling is commonplace there?
Or is the shamed racist capital of the North, trying to take some kind of moral highground?

[cptdodger]

Why be twinned in the 1st place?
Has Wick just realised that whaling is commonplace there?
Or is the shamed racist capital of the North, trying to take some kind of moral highground?

I can't answer that, I have only lived in this area for the past six years, none of which have been in Wick. You would have to ask the people who made the decision to be twinned with Klasvik in the first place, and the people who decided to sever the connection now. Maybe they are taking the moral highground, why it has taken them 20 years, I just do not know.

[Murdo]

Yes I do know where milk comes from, and no I don't know where all , the very few clothes I buy, come from but then again I'm not the one adopting the superior moral attitude to others and their life styles.

[davth]

I wonder what out very own illustrious (ahem) MP makes of this with his recent gushing for all things Japan.
What is is that Japan practices again, oh yes whaling.
Mind you, its not the first time his judgement in whom he supports has come into question is it?

[cptdodger]

Yes I do know where milk comes from, and no I don't know where all , the very few clothes I buy, come from but then again I'm not the one adopting the superior moral attitude to others and their life styles.

How is being against something, anything, regardless of what it is, adopting a superior moral attitude?

I am against the SNP, Independence, cruelty to animals in general. Is that adopting a superior moral attitude? Or is it just you do not agree with my views?

[cptdodger]

If you don't approve of country ways then perhaps you should be living somewhere else.

Oh and by the way it's the people that made the decision to disassociate themselves with Klaksvik (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...ling-1-3864520) you should have a problem with.

[davth]

Oh and by the way it's the people that made the decision to disassociate themselves with Klaksvik (http://www.scotsman.com/news/environ...ling-1-3864520) you should have a problem with.

Indeed, Gail Ross signed off on the letter, she is SNP.
Our MP is also SNP, but is a big Japan fan.
They seem to have opposing views there, surely if the SNP standpoint is anti whaling, our MP should not be having anything to do with Japan.

[cptdodger]

Indeed, Gail Ross signed off on the letter, she is SNP.
Our MP is also SNP, but is a big Japan fan.
They seem to have opposing views there, surely if the SNP standpoint is anti whaling, our MP should not be having anything to do with Japan.

Exactly, are the SNP not supposed to be singing from the same hymn sheet, so to speak !

[davth]

Perhaps one role may lead to trips to Tokyo and the like, the other to Klasvick.
Wick Councillors have however announced that Wick will now be twinned with the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department.

[Murdo]

Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

[davth]

Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

Surely you can not be blind to the "left hand not knowing what the right is doing" ness of it all.
Surely a better course of action for Councillor Ross would be to use her position to lobby the Faroe's regarding whaling and try and build relationships, not destroy a 20 year old tie.
Basically she send a letter to the Mayor of Klasvik attacking his country's stance on whaling and she received one back calling her ignorant and requesting that she go forth and multiply.

[cptdodger]

Here we go again-- Its all the fault of the SNP- why don't some folk on here perhaps consider getting a life.

You're on here, do you not have a life ?

[cptdodger]

Surely you can not be blind to the "left hand not knowing what the right is doing" ness of it all.

Of course he or she can, in their eyes the SNP can do no wrong.

[davth]

Of course he or she can, in their eyes the SNP can do no wrong.

The fact of the matter is the Gail Ross is a SNP representative, therefore her ill conceived international relations fall back onto the SNP as a whole in the end.

[squidge]

The fact of the matter is the Gail Ross is a SNP representative, therefore her ill conceived international relations fall back onto the SNP as a whole in the end.

Ah well if it's facts you want lol, here are a couple...

This action was taken in response to representations from constituents not as a matter of SNP policy but as an issue important enough for people who live here, to raise with their local councillors?

The letter was signed by Gail Ross as civic leader but - as the article linked on this very forum says - was also written by Bill Fernie and Neil Macdonald, Bill is an Independent Councillor and Neil is a labour councillor. Not exactly a SNP dictat from above!

It seems to me you lot want it both ways. You grumble that you think the SNP are dictatorial autocratic and state frequently that there is no room for any flexibility and then here you are grumbling that SNP representatives have expressed what might be differing views. Well, which is it?

I have spent the last few weeks involved in something which meant I spoke at several meetings with 5 other members of the SNP. We all frequently took a different view of a whole range of issues, assisted dying, gay marriage, Land reform, police Scotland, NHS, Gaelic, MPAs, wind farms, taxation, and on and on it went. We all had issues that were important to us and SHOCK HORROR - they werent always the same issues. Thats not a weakness you know, it's a strength. It leads to robust debate and real choices when deciding about policy and representation in communities.

This issue - the twinning of Wick and Klasvik was a civic issue raised by people in Wick who asked their councillors to take action. That is exactly what happened. If you disagree with the actions then disagree for real reasons like you support the rights of the Faroese to slaughter whales if they want to and not this manufactured outrage that two SNP members might not agree on something.

[davth]

She does not state anywhere in her letter that she is acting on behalf of her constituents, she makes reference to herself and her two colleagues.
One would have thought that if it was in accordance with the wishes of her constituency that she would say so.
I neither support whaling or otherwise, but stating that the entire Faroes has been "tainted" is rather all encompassing, sweeping up both pro and anti whalers in the Country.
I feel rather than severing ties with the town a period of constructive dialogue would have been more appropriate.
However its not like the mayor of a town will have the clout (or want) to get whaling stopped in the Faroes due to the thoughts of a trio of insignificant Scottish Councillors.



"Dear Mr Mayor
I hope this correspondence finds you well. My name is Councillor Gail Ross, Civic Leader of Caithness and I write in regard to the long association between Wick in Caithness and the town of Klaskvik, which has been faithfully honoured for many years. Unfortunately the reason I write is not a happy one.
I and my two ward colleagues make reference to the recent slaughter of whales which took place in Bøur and Tórshavn, amongst other areas and whilst we note that this is not Klaksvik, I am afraid that the whole of the Faroe Islands has been tainted by these events. We do not agree that these events and the apparent joy it gave the townspeople is in any way or should in any way be linked to tradition. There may have been reasons of culling for food in the past but in 2015 it is unnecessary and cruel.
Cetaceans are sentient beings; they have feelings and emotions. They have their own communication system and form social groups. To drive them on to a beach and slaughter them in front of their family members is nothing short of barbaric.
We do not subscribe to animal cruelty in any way and it saddens me to have to sever links with your beautiful town until such times as we get a full assurance that this atrocity has ceased. I am fully committed to making this association work when the Faroe Islands can commit to a full ban on such a cruel practice.
Kind regards
Councillor Gail Ross"