Today's New York Times runs a story about cockfighting in New Mexico.
Last year, New Mexico became the 49th state to outlaw cockfighting; Louisiana will become the 50th next month.
Like dogfighting, so-called "game" cocks are thrown into a ring (pit) to fight each other. Gamecocks, however, wear razors/spikes/spurs strapped to their legs; they generally fight each other to the death. (Cocks - roosters - are naturally aggressive towards each other.) Like fighting dogs, the cocks fight in a pit or enclosed area, with sometimes hundreds in attendance. Now that the sport has been outlawed, it has moved the way of dogfighting: largely to rural and clandestine locations. Like dogfighting, cockfights are a haven for illegal gambling.
NM Governor Bill Richardson's did not sign a bill outlawing cockfighting until he decided to run for the U.S. presidency. Seems rather hypocritical to me that he decided not to outlaw a heinous crime until it was clear that his personal goals would be adversely affected. So much for politicians doing what's right, and doing it for the population at large. But I digress....
Read today's New York Times story A Ban on Cockfighting, but Tradition Lives On. You can view a short video there, too.
It's really horrible how humans exploit animals for entertainment. Bullfighting still holds strong in parts of Europe because of so-called tradition, but haven't we reached a higher conscience plain since it started?
ReplyDeletePaula