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Cock-fights
The recent arrest of more than a dozen people in Greene County on cock-fighting charges leaves us grappling for a proper word to describe our feelings.
Appalling.
Disgusting.
Barbaric.
Shameful.
We understand one of the arrestees even made the comment to arresting officers that since “God gave us dominion over the earth, I don’t see what the big deal is.”
Jeez, where do we start?
First, we wonder why anyone who would pit two animals of the same species against each other — and fit them with more lethal weapons (spurs) to “overcome” that natural aversion of a member of a given species to kill another member.
Sport?
Some sport, when the promoters of said “sport” have to modify creatures over whom, as the individual noted, “God gave dominion” to make sure these creatures that would not otherwise kill each other, do so.
We recognize the practices of cock-fighting, and dog-fighting for that matter, are hardly unknown as sports throughout the world. Indeed, a cookbook featuring foods from the Philippines even has a recipe for “defeated rooster,” as the loser of a cock-fight.
But virtually every place in which cock-fighting is popular is considered an under-developed country in the Third World.
You know, uncivilized. And no place we figure any American not engaged in charity, humanitarian or mission work would want to live.
And these dozen-plus think it’s okay for Arkansas?
As an aside, such activity goes a long way toward unraveling the improved image of The Natural State through the presence of two serious candidates for president with close ties to Arkansas.
In addition, we are reminded, in this cock-fighting case as well as the earlier, more widely publicized case of professional football player Michael Vick and dog-fighting, of something very sinister in the use of animals for entertainment through pain inflicted on them:
According to numerous published reports, abuse and intentional infliction of harm on animals is a significant predictor of the tendency to inflict harm on people, from sexual abuse of children to mass school shootings by guys like Luke Woodham, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris.
We seriously question whether the current penalties under the Arkansas Code, Annotated for animal cruelty, as misdemeanors, are stringent enough. Yet we remember the handy defeat at the polls in 2002 of an initiated proposal to make animal cruelty a felony.
This case, as well as that of Michael Vick, suggests to us that the idea needs revisiting. So we urge supporters of that proposed Arkansas Animal Cruelty Act to get together with opponents of that act to iron out concerns over livestock and poultry issues that led to its defeat at that time.
We like our meat on the table.
But we don’t like our chickens — or our dogs — to have to battle each other to the death for someone else’s fun.
That’s because we don’t think that’s what the Almighty had in mind when He gave us “dominion over the earth.”
Appalling.
Disgusting.
Barbaric.
Shameful.
We understand one of the arrestees even made the comment to arresting officers that since “God gave us dominion over the earth, I don’t see what the big deal is.”
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First, we wonder why anyone who would pit two animals of the same species against each other — and fit them with more lethal weapons (spurs) to “overcome” that natural aversion of a member of a given species to kill another member.
Sport?
Some sport, when the promoters of said “sport” have to modify creatures over whom, as the individual noted, “God gave dominion” to make sure these creatures that would not otherwise kill each other, do so.
We recognize the practices of cock-fighting, and dog-fighting for that matter, are hardly unknown as sports throughout the world. Indeed, a cookbook featuring foods from the Philippines even has a recipe for “defeated rooster,” as the loser of a cock-fight.
But virtually every place in which cock-fighting is popular is considered an under-developed country in the Third World.
You know, uncivilized. And no place we figure any American not engaged in charity, humanitarian or mission work would want to live.
And these dozen-plus think it’s okay for Arkansas?
As an aside, such activity goes a long way toward unraveling the improved image of The Natural State through the presence of two serious candidates for president with close ties to Arkansas.
In addition, we are reminded, in this cock-fighting case as well as the earlier, more widely publicized case of professional football player Michael Vick and dog-fighting, of something very sinister in the use of animals for entertainment through pain inflicted on them:
According to numerous published reports, abuse and intentional infliction of harm on animals is a significant predictor of the tendency to inflict harm on people, from sexual abuse of children to mass school shootings by guys like Luke Woodham, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris.
We seriously question whether the current penalties under the Arkansas Code, Annotated for animal cruelty, as misdemeanors, are stringent enough. Yet we remember the handy defeat at the polls in 2002 of an initiated proposal to make animal cruelty a felony.
This case, as well as that of Michael Vick, suggests to us that the idea needs revisiting. So we urge supporters of that proposed Arkansas Animal Cruelty Act to get together with opponents of that act to iron out concerns over livestock and poultry issues that led to its defeat at that time.
We like our meat on the table.
But we don’t like our chickens — or our dogs — to have to battle each other to the death for someone else’s fun.
That’s because we don’t think that’s what the Almighty had in mind when He gave us “dominion over the earth.”
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of paragoulddailypress.com.
harryb88 wrote on Feb 27, 2008 5:32 PM:
" A society can be judged by how it treats its animals, children, and elderly. Well, that is down score for Greene County in one category. What is next? Rabbit fights. I hear their males do not get along. Maybe a good old free for all with bunnies is just the ticket. Maybe they can be armed to create excitement, bobbing and weaving and talking some trash for the fans, no wait that is for roosters. "
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SMCCORD wrote on Feb 27, 2008 2:36 PM: