Animal rights activists cry foul over city’s deal with cockfighters

Gary Bogue — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:33:49 +0000

This is from the Associated Press on Monday afternoon:

“HONOLULU — Animal rights activists are calling foul over Honolulu’s decision to contract members the Hawaii Gamebreeders Association to remove feral chickens from private residences.

“The Hawaiian Humane Society says cockfighting is a type of animal cruelty and no one involved with blood sport should be responsible for the animals. But Hawaii Gamebreeders say they have the experience to chase down the feral fowl.

“Honolulu licensing administrator Dennis Kamimura says many breeders sell their fighting cocks and don’t necessarily engage in the illegal, gambling sport.”

But if the breeders sell their fighting cocks to cockfighters who are engaged in the illegal gambling sport … doesn’t that automatically involve them in the illegal cockfighting activities?

There can’t be any cockfighting without fighting cocks. Seems to me the fighting cock breeders are not only INVOLVED with illegal cockfighting … they’re an INTEGRAL part of it. /Gary

PAY TO WATCH COCKFIGHTING ON INTERNET?

Gary Bogue — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:36:34 +0000

All states in the U.S. have banned cockfighting. However, cockfighting is still legal in Puerto Rico, and a company wants to transmit videos of this fighting to its Web site and then charge people in the U.S. to view them.

Animal rights groups including the Humane Society of the United States claim that cockfighting is illegal animal cruelty and the Web site should also be illegal.

The company that wants to transmit the cockfighting videos says it’s a free speech issue (First Amendment rights) and they should be allowed to do it. They claim it’s a cultural tradition.

Basically, the company is saying while live cockfighting in the U.S. is illegal … depictions of cockfighting should be OK. They say it’s like watching bullfights, hunting, or fishing on TV.

If actual cockfighting, where fighting roosters slash each other to death is illegal in this country … should it still be OK for you to pay to watch Internet videos of the illegal events? Is there really a difference?

What do you think?

Gary Bogue » Cockfighting

Animal rights activists cry foul over city’s deal with cockfighters

PAY TO WATCH COCKFIGHTING ON INTERNET?