Oxford latest - a new anti-antivivisection protest group is in town, wittily named Pro-Test.

SPEAK seems to be immensely threatened by this new development and has launched a scathing personal attack - of no less than 1,015 words! - on Pro-Test’s founder, Laurie (16, male, and wants to be a med student), which is oblivious to the fact that he is entitled to his own opinion – something SPEAK is very hot on claiming for itself.  It seems that the only people that can exercise their democratic right to free speech are those who conform to the SPEAK manifesto.

Now, I was going to comment on SPEAK’s article, pointing out that attacking a minor so ferociously (and on points irrelevant to the subject at hand) could be seen as a bit pathetic and desperate.  Or I could note that Laurie’s webposts that SPEAK has got so worked up over are either surprisingly insightful and grounded for a 16-year-old (one notes that the government/ society’s position on drugs is a little inconsistent when you consider the status of alcohol and nicotine and the damage they do – but crucially, do in a taxable way), or obviously tongue-in-cheek.  I personally found it refreshing to see that an adolescent can comment on their growing pains in a humorous, articulate and gently self-deprecating manner rather than the self-indulgent angst more commonly exhibited, and which I certainly witnessed amongst my own peers.

However, having seen Laurie’s mature response which is short and to the point: