Of Pigs and Pit Bulls

How long can anyone sane continue to live in California? (Reid?)

It's not just the cost of living or the deficit or the smog or the crime or the massive illegal immigration-- one might put up with many of those things for the glories. It's the endless niggling laws, the superficial reverence for an environment that fewer and fewer people connect with, the...

Well, let's back up to those laws. The LA Times contained two stories today that may be of interest. While the problems-- non- native animals, animal rights, dangerous dogs, a state which thinks it can fix everything by regulating those who didn't "do it" (William S. Burroughs: "Every time some lunatic goes on a shooting spree they go out and take away the guns of everybody that didn't do it")-- the particular instances are completely Cailifornian.

First, non- native species in the Channel Islands. The story begins:

"Animal rights activists will get another chance to try to persuade a federal judge to halt what they consider the senseless slaughter of thousands of pigs on Santa Cruz Island.

"Recently rebuffed in their attempt to secure a temporary restraining order against the National Park Service, In Defense of Animals and two individual plaintiffs intend to ask Central District Judge Dickran Tevrizian Jr. on Sept. 26 to reconsider the case and grant an injunction against the feral pig eradication program".

The principal species that they are worried about are the Santa Cruz Island fox (not actually a species but a subspecies of the gray fox) and eight species of plants. If these are indeed endangered, I have no trouble with them removing the pigs by any reasonable means -- they are a fine game animal, though maybe for the taxpayers' sake and to annoy the Puritans they should allow year- round no limit hunting rather than employ "Pro Hunting, a New Zealand-based company, [with] a two-year contract to track down the pigs, using snipers, dogs and electronic collars".

Humans have introduced, aaccidentally or intentionally, many species-- goats, several species of deer which attain trophy proportions and are also fated to be eliminated-- in the Channel Islands, and eliminated others like the pygmy mammoth. The Park Service's most absurd move so far was to suggest shooting the island's Golden eagles, which they claimed were attracted there by the piglets but were now eating foxes, while denying most permits to falconers on the mainland (and of course letting Indian tribes strangle them without limits). I think the fetish of Pre- Columbianism is just that, and management (i.e. judicious killing) of the hooved immigrants would probably work better and be cheaper than a crew of Kiwi (why not Hawaiian, who would have at least as much experience, and are still American?) hotshots.

But the animal rights activists have managed to come up with an even dumber plan than the government's. " "Since there are probably not a lot of pigs left, I think the agency should give the contraceptive approach a chance; do the right thing and allow the remaining pigs to live out their lives". "

And then there are the poor pit bulls.

"Spurred by a recent rash of pit bull attacks on children in California, state lawmakers voted Monday to give local governments authority to require the spaying and neutering of specific dog breeds".

As usual "humane" groups, who the late dog trainer and philosopher Vicki Hearne said preferred animals to be either cute or victims, joined with the banners. Also, of course, not a few of these, like PETA, want an end to all domestication ("slavery"), though they may soft- pedal this fact to outsiders.

One congresswoman spoke sense." "The problem we have is not with our dogs but with our dog owners," said Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks). "There are a significant number of dog owners who abuse their dogs and condition them to fight and become vicious. Those people are the culprits.""

Exactly. To lose the brave genes that can go to make superior defense and schutzhund dogs because a few moral idiots (like the owners of the Presa Canarios that killed a young woman in San Francisco) will not be responsible is another kind of crime. What would happen to dogs like my Kazakh friends working tobets, who are certainly capable of killing armed adult humans in their Border Patrol work but will guard my friends' babies? If someone's dog kills an innocent, imprison him for murder and put his dog down. Don't ban breeds.

On the other hand, as long as proponents of bans are this dumb we may still stand a chance: " "It's time to get rid of these pit bulls," said Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Tahoe City). "I think we ought to string 'em all up, send them to some other state". "

In Germany animal rights group can now regulate the size of the wattles on pigeons.

A character in Cormac McCarthy's new novel, who asks an old sheriff if she can smoke, receives the laconic reply "its still America last time I looked".

Update: Lib looked at this and said:"They want to neuter both of them". Hmmmm....