AR-News: Two LA Newspapers Slam Cockfighters

[Political Animal]

Monroe News-Star

Editorial

State just can't say no 
 

 
May 9, 2004
 
 
 
Maybe with a little luck, Louisiana will corner the
entire market. If only New Mexico would come to its
senses and let us stand alone. 

Oh well, for the meantime we will have to share the
national "spotlight' for our specialty. At least the
Legislature has made sure we won't lose our share of
the cockfighting market.

That's nice. Let's keep our blood sport alive and well
and show the rest of the nation we are still behind
the times - with apologies to New Mexico.

Apparently, Louisiana cannot survive without allowing
birds to fight to the death for the pleasure of
onlookers and the opportunity for people to gamble on
the outcome. How would we make it without that?

Heck, the Legislature didn't even get a chance to have
its say. The House Agriculture Committee voted this
week 9-5 to kill a bill that would have put Louisiana
in modern times with 48 other states.

"This legislation should never have gone to the
Agriculture Committee in the first place,' said Wayne
Pacelle, chief executive officer-designate of the
Humane Society of the United States. "In the past,
anti-cruelty legislation, including measures related
to dogfighting and hog-dog fighting, has been assigned
to the Committee on Administration of Criminal
Justice.'

We're disappointed that local legislators Jim Fannin,
D-Jonesboro, and Lelon Kenney, D-Columbia, voted to
kill the bill. 

Proponents have said that cockfighting is a part of
the state's culture that should be preserved. Public
hangings, slavery and voting only by white men were
also part of the culture, but we somehow managed to
open our eyes. 

It's past time to let New Mexico stand alone with this
dubious distinction. Unfortunately, the House
Agriculture Committee sees nothing wrong with the
cruel, outdated practice. 
 
 
 

 

 

Editorials

New Orleans Times-Picayune


Cruelty, not culture
Sunday, May 09, 2004 

An anti-cockfighting bill has about as much chance
surviving in the Louisiana Legislature as the roosters
that fight to the death in this barbaric bloodsport. 

The House Agriculture Committee voted 9-5 to kill
House Bill 681, which would have ended legalized
cockfighting in Louisiana. 

Cockfighting apologists, including Agriculture
Commissioner Bob Odom, insist that it's part of the
state's culture and that it brings in money. 

But cockfighting is hardly sound economic development.
If anything, the sport hurts the state's image and
makes Louisiana a less attractive place to do
business. 

As for our culture, that's not something that
cockfighting interests have been appointed to define.
A poll conducted by the Humane Society of the United
States found that 83 percent of those interviewed
support a law to ban the practice. Chances are, those
folks have a very different idea about what
constitutes Louisiana's culture. 

Cockfighters don't speak for the majority of Louisiana
residents, but lawmakers should. This vote was
predictable, but it's still deplorable. 

 




	
		
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