LETTER- Outlaw cockfighting, too
Under news shorts in the November 29 issue of the Hook ["Dogfight: Locals enabled Vick indictments"], Delegate Rob Bell is quoted as saying, "You don't have to be an animal rights activist to find [dogfighting] absolutely repulsive" and "This kind of animal cruelty has to be stopped."
If that's truly how Bell feels, I don't understand why he didn't pass a law that made cock fighting illegal as well.
All animals feel pain, and it's just as wrong for people to attach razor blades to the legs of roosters to tear each other apart as it is for them to set dogs upon one another. Such blood sports are an abomination. A legislator who is sincerely compassionate would have passed a law to put an end to all of them– period.
Bell seems to quickly sponsor legislation being pushed by a large number of people, as if his true impetus is the thought of gaining votes for the next time around. The dogfighting legislation is a case in point. Plenty of folks were complaining about dogfighting, so Bell worked to get a bill passed for them.
Sadly, the outcry against cockfighting was not as loud, and, in fact, it was reported in the media that a group of folks made the trip to Richmond to persuade legislators that cockfighting should not be a part of this legislation. Not too surprisingly, our supposedly caring lawmakers bowed to their wishes.
I hope folks with a genuine compassion for animals will contact Bell to let him know how disgraceful it is for Virginia to allow cockfighting. He can be reached by mail at 2 Boar's Head Place #100, Charlottesville 22903 and by phone at 245-8900 (his local office) and 804-698-1058 (in Richmond). His e-mail is .
Marlene A. Condon
Crozet
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6 comments
I apploud Delegate Rob Bell. Cockfighting is hardly an abomination. People who rape babies/children, sell drugs to kids, and commit murders, are far worse than two chickens fighting. Cockfighting is a victimless event. These roosters get far better care than most animals for the most part. Before anyone comments on the cluelty involved with chickens, they should wipe the KFC grease from their face and take a long look are those birds are raised. They are have more growth hormones and steriods injected into them than any gamecock. Gamecocks are aggressive by nature, people don't have to train then. They already know how to do it. They are the way they are created. If you think you can make an animal fight, you are truely crazy. There is no way you can make animals fight if they don't already want to. Gamecocks don't care about anything but the will to fight. I doubt very much so that they feel pain when they fight. How do you know they feel pain? Did one of them tell you? There are much worse things and more important issues your state and this country should be worrying about other than roosters! How about insurance for children, employment rates, god forbid we worry about childrens education. But what chickens are so much more important.
Mrs. Condon, i can understand your compassion for animals and everyone wants a nice warm cozy feeling of a fair society when we go to bed at night, so here's alittle story for you. I was out to dinner one evening with a lady friend that was chairperson over an HSUS chapter, we happened to start noticing live chickens on the roadsides, she demanded i stop the car and gather these birds, which i did out of gentlemanly kindness, a couple dozen of them, then wanted me to find a home for them,,,which is impossible no chicken farmer will take birds in and nobody wants live chickens,, so i had to kill all of them and bury the things,,,,a chicken is not mans best friend like a dog society has a place for dog's and who are you to decide a birds extinction, which will happen if they are not allowed to fight, all chickens fight, that's how the term "pecking order" was established,,when dogs get into a fight their food consumption slows for awhile and they take a few days to get over it,,,chickens on the other hand increase appetite and act and crow more vigorously, they love it!!,,,,so tell all your friends to stay within the live birthing animal guidelines, becaquse these (reptiles) are birds of a differaqnt feather!!
I cant believe that today with all our worries we are worried about a chicken.Have we lost our minds? trust me a chicken is the last of my worries and funny thing is all these people who are worried have no problem munching down at the local KFC,Churches etc. Gamecocks get treated great or they could never win against 1 who had been treated right.This is a great sport brought here by our forefathers why disgrace theyre memories with this idiot thinking?
Are you guys members of a local cockfighting group or somethin?
Dan, good to hear from you! I was just looking over the editorials and figured something might be mentioned about our 10 trillion dollar US debt., instead i've found poultry politics and a talented quarterback put to waste over a mistake in his young adult life! The only animal crime that exists in my opinion is failure to give them ample sustence ( feed and water) animals were put here to serve mans needs, animals have no soul, Vick's needs are extreme to some but no animals life is worth that of a human being, read your bible, Holistic society is something Hitler got from the United States, it's wrong to put animals above any race, creed or color of human being. Yes, dog fighting is not right, they are mamals, however cockfighting (retiles) are cold blooded, if you left two roosters alone the winner will eat the losers remains, if roosters were 6 feet tall we'd all be on the food chain!
I'm a lover, not a fighter, breeding a-type socially acceptable gamefowl is my hobby (gamefowl that will not fight),,,we'll all be eat'n whatever we can get if this national debt. keeps climbing,,,,,,happy holidays
I Have A Daughter In Irag this is her secound time she is 28 years young shes figthing terrost and for irags democracy My Family have always had chickens and dogs and cats My girl is figthing for our freedom but here the politics are taking our freedoms to own gamecocks to own dogs next will be hunting and fishing