Why not encourage people to try and find out...

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Posted by Gerry Binczik on May 26, 2002 at 21:41:26:

In Reply to: Re: Aside from the needless killing... posted by KJ on May 26, 2002 at 11:46:09:

... rather than think up excuses not to try?

You may be right in presuming that herps have no legal protection from animal cruelty, but personally - and I mean this as no offense, KJ - I see no reason to believe it. I suspect (without evidence) that animal cruelty laws probably cover all vertebrates (off-topic, but since you mentioned it, can you name a single state which allows chicken fighting?), but are almost exclusively applied to warm and fuzzies, and largish warm and fuzzies at that. Maybe the lower vertebrates just need someone to push the issue on their behalf once in awhile. What better opportunity than when nationally televised film is available as evidence? I say give it a shot and see where it takes you. Even if it turns out that the officers who went macho/mental on the snake for the television cameras can't be prosecuted for their act of animal cruelty, perhaps the police department which employs them can be embarrassed into discouraging such barbaric behavior, and perhaps the television show's producers might be concerned enough about the possibility of liability and losing viewers that they would think twice before airing such barbarism again.

The one thing we CAN be sure of: If the people who care most do nothing, nothing will be done.

Gerry

Follow Ups:

Re: Why not encourage people to try and find out... KJ 05/28/02 (1)
- You've misunderstood me, KJ... Gerry Binczik 05/28/02 (0)

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: ... rather than think up excuses not to try? : You may be right in presuming that herps have no legal protection from animal cruelty, but personally - and I mean this as no offense, KJ - I see no reason to believe it. I suspect (without evidence) that animal cruelty laws probably cover all vertebrates (off-topic, but since you mentioned it, can you name a single state which allows chicken fighting?), but are almost exclusively applied to warm and fuzzies, and largish warm and fuzzies at that. Maybe the lower vertebrates just need someone to push the issue on their behalf once in awhile. What better opportunity than when nationally televised film is available as evidence? I say give it a shot and see where it takes you. Even if it turns out that the officers who went macho/mental on the snake for the television cameras can't be prosecuted for their act of animal cruelty, perhaps the police department which employs them can be embarrassed into discouraging such barbaric behavior, and perhaps the television show's producers might be concerned enough about the possibility of liability and losing viewers that they would think twice before airing such barbarism again. : The one thing we CAN be sure of: If the people who care most do nothing, nothing will be done. : Gerry

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