Perfectly Good Cockfight Spoiled in Tennessee
This CNN story is a gem. I'm just gonna paste it all, comments inserted.
NEWPORT, Tennessee (AP) -- Law enforcement agents raided an illegal cockfight and arrested 144 people attending what one official said may have been one of the nation's largest such gatherings.
Several SWAT teams, helicopters and dozens of state troopers participated in the raid Saturday on the sprawling Del Rio Cockfight Pit. They seized about $40,000 in cash and killed more than 300 roosters.
Now hang on a second--they killed more than 300 roosters? Isn't cockfighting illegal because it harms the roosters? Why else would it be prohibited. So how is the anti-cockfighting side served by coming in and killing all the animals? I mean, it's bad for the business, but isn't it also kind of bad for the roosters? Isn't this all about them? I don't get it...
And it took "several" SWAT teams? Were they firing on the roosters from the helicopters or just keeping track of the fleeing people?
"Reputedly, this was the largest cockfight in the United States," said District Attorney Al Schmutzer Jr. "It was becoming open and notorious, and you just can't stand back and let something operate like that in the community."
Has there ever been a better real-life lawyer name than Al Schmutzer Jr.?
The 144 were each charged with being a spectator to cockfighting, a misdemeanor in Tennessee. If convicted, they face up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a $2,500 fine.
John Goodwin, of the Humane Society of the United States, who took part in the raid, said it served notice on those conducting such illegal operations. "I wouldn't want to be a cockfighter in East Tennessee right now," he said.
Oh, but at some other point in time he would like to be a cockfighter in East Tennessee? Second, someone from the Humane Society of the United States participated in a raid, presumably aimed at saving animals from cruelty, that killed over 300 animals? What's going on here??
David Webb, a gamecock owner from Rhea County, said he lost more than 20 chickens valued at $150 each during the raid. "I've been around this stuff all my life. Everything I've ever known is a chicken fight," he said.
Everything he's ever known is a chicken fight? I'm not going to cleverly extract humor from that quote, because 1) it doesn't need my help, and 2) it's kind of sad. In his life, this man's known nothing beyond chicken fights? Sounds like child abuse to me, but don't tell the Tennessee authorities. They probably prosecute child abuse complaints by arresting the parents and then killing all the kids.
NEWPORT, Tennessee (AP) -- Law enforcement agents raided an illegal cockfight and arrested 144 people attending what one official said may have been one of the nation's largest such gatherings.
Several SWAT teams, helicopters and dozens of state troopers participated in the raid Saturday on the sprawling Del Rio Cockfight Pit. They seized about $40,000 in cash and killed more than 300 roosters.
Now hang on a second--they killed more than 300 roosters? Isn't cockfighting illegal because it harms the roosters? Why else would it be prohibited. So how is the anti-cockfighting side served by coming in and killing all the animals? I mean, it's bad for the business, but isn't it also kind of bad for the roosters? Isn't this all about them? I don't get it...
And it took "several" SWAT teams? Were they firing on the roosters from the helicopters or just keeping track of the fleeing people?
"Reputedly, this was the largest cockfight in the United States," said District Attorney Al Schmutzer Jr. "It was becoming open and notorious, and you just can't stand back and let something operate like that in the community."
Has there ever been a better real-life lawyer name than Al Schmutzer Jr.?
The 144 were each charged with being a spectator to cockfighting, a misdemeanor in Tennessee. If convicted, they face up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a $2,500 fine.
John Goodwin, of the Humane Society of the United States, who took part in the raid, said it served notice on those conducting such illegal operations. "I wouldn't want to be a cockfighter in East Tennessee right now," he said.
Oh, but at some other point in time he would like to be a cockfighter in East Tennessee? Second, someone from the Humane Society of the United States participated in a raid, presumably aimed at saving animals from cruelty, that killed over 300 animals? What's going on here??
David Webb, a gamecock owner from Rhea County, said he lost more than 20 chickens valued at $150 each during the raid. "I've been around this stuff all my life. Everything I've ever known is a chicken fight," he said.
Everything he's ever known is a chicken fight? I'm not going to cleverly extract humor from that quote, because 1) it doesn't need my help, and 2) it's kind of sad. In his life, this man's known nothing beyond chicken fights? Sounds like child abuse to me, but don't tell the Tennessee authorities. They probably prosecute child abuse complaints by arresting the parents and then killing all the kids.
posted by Luke @ 11:38 AM
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