Posted on 04/02/2014 3:50:24 PM PDT by smoothsailing
April 2, 2014
Matt Bevin, left, is challenging incumbent Mitch McConnell in the
race to be the GOP's nominee in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Matt Bevin believes the legality of cockfighting should be decided by states and not the federal government, his spokeswoman said Wednesday following a news report that Bevin attended a pro-cockfighting rally over the weekend.
"Matt doesn't believe this is a federal issue, and the state government can handle it," said Rachel Semmel, Bevin's spokeswoman.
The News Journal in Corbin reported Wednesday that Bevin, who is seeking to defeat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in the May 20 primary, spoke to about 700 people at an event in Corbin last Saturday that was organized by Michael Devereaux, director of the Gamefowl Defense Network.
Bevin told the newspaper that he didn't know he had attended a pro-cockfighting rally, although organizers told the paper there was "never any ambiguity" about the purpose of the event, which was to rally support for changing laws that outlaw cockfighting.
Bevin said he though the event was a rally for states' rights. He spoke to the crowd in the morning before attending the county's Lincoln Day dinner that night.
"I was the first person to speak and then I left," Bevin said. "They knew I was here. They asked if I would be interested in speaking. I'm a politician running statewide, any chance I get to speak to a few hundred people I'm going to take it."
Semmel's statement about Bevin's belief that cockfighting is a state issue came in response to a question about whether the candidate supports the controversial practice, in which two roosters often fight to the death in a ring called a cockpit. She did not respond to a follow-up question asking again whether Bevin personally supports the practice.
The McConnell campaign, which has repeatedly accused Bevin of dishonesty, was skeptical that Bevin didn't know the purpose of Saturday's event.
"Only Matt Bevin would go to a cockfighting rally and claim he didn't know what they were doing there," McConnell spokeswoman Allison Moore said.
As the Herald-Leader reported in February, McConnell enraged cockfighting enthusiasts when he voted earlier this year in favor of farm legislation that contained an amendment making it a federal crime to be a spectator at an animal fight. In response, a McConnell spokesman said a representative of the senator's would be willing to sit with the group and hear their concerns.
The new law makes attending a cockfight or dogfight a federal misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison and $100,000 fine. It makes bringing a minor to such fights a federal felony, punishable by up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The penalties included in the new federal law put serious teeth into what is already criminal activity, although Kentucky law enforcement officials have rarely cited individuals for the misdemeanor offense.
NOPE!
They're real doctors, not Levinites.
The purpose of a cockfight is to force two roosters to attack each other until ultimately one of them dies or is critically injured. I would certainly classify it as cruel brutality to animals and I think most Americans would agree.
Per Wikipedia, dogfighting wasn't completely banned in all 50 states until 1976, but that doesn't mean it was still considered socially acceptable and mainstream in parts of American during the 60s and 70s -- its probably even more taboo in America than cockfighting because dogs are intelligent companion animals. As MarMema noted, Bear baiting is still allowed in South Carolina under a grandfather clause, and its probably the most brutal of the three blood sports.
In any case, I'd certainly place cockfighting in a similar category as dogfights and bear-baiting -- as a relic of a barbaric era, or as you noted: "activities that have been shunned by polite society for over a century" Cockfighting was once popular in American during the colonial era (I believe George Washington used to bet on cockfighting), but it fell out of favor by the civil war era, and it was outlawed in most states decades ago (despite three states being the exception to the rule), and I can't imagine the "average" voter in Kentucky would find it socially acceptable to have a cockfight. I've heard of public cockfights in third world countries like Vietnam and Peru, but not in places like New Mexico (and keep in mind those are the same countries that find it socially acceptable to EAT dogs. Barack Obama's childhood being a clear example ;-) )
Oh geez. I this guy another RINO plant? That was just plain stupid.
We can send you some extras from California. With or without roosters, just let us know.
He’s not a “RINO plant”, there is no Earthy reason why McConnell would want a fake primary challenger. He’s just a random idiot who decided to file for office, the only reason he’s gotten any support at all is because conservatives are so angry at McConnell.
Cockfighting was a major issue in the 2002 Oklahoma gubernatorial election that allowed rural hick democrat Brad Henry to upset Steve Largent.
There was a referendum to ban it on the ballot, it passed by 56%-44%, so a very large minority wanted to keep it legal, it was at least as recently as then in, not nearly as socially unacceptable as dog fighting. I seem to remember it being a plot of a “Seinfeld” (set in NYC) episode once. “Kramer” got involved in underground cockfights. I can’t imagine the #1 sitcom in America having a dog fighting episode.
Anyway, even though the ban passed, it brought out tons of slack-jawed yokels to vote against it, they also voted for Henry who was able to win a narrow plurality with RINO ex-US Attorney Gary Richardson stealing votes from Largent as an independent.
Brad Henry 43.27%
Steve Largent 42.61%
Gary Richardson 14.12%
I agree with you that it’s vile and disgusting and it would be my preference if it were illegal everywhere. Auh2o tells me that banning it in Puerto Rico would cause economic problems because it employs a significant amount of people.
If you try to ban cockfighting in Puerto Rico the United States will have itself a popular revolt in a magnitude not seen since the War for Southern Independence. In Puerto Rico, New York, Illinois and Florida. The fans of this “Sport of Gentlemen” are usually wild, drunk, and heavily armed.
A Bantam is the mascot of the University of Puerto Rico.
Cockfighting is not more cruel than hunting or fishing. At least the birds have a fighting chance.
Even more, I would bring back Bull Fighting to Puerto Rico, too.
When they ban human fighting like boxing, karate, MMA, Ultimate Fighting, etc., they can ban cockfighting.
Sincerely,
A Slack-Jawed, Knuckle Dragging, Puerto Rican Hombre.
You know a while back a in my neighborhood (Humboldt Park, Chicago) I noticed this one house had a rooster in it’s yard. It didn’t occur to me it may have been a fightin’ bird.
Cockfighting...sounds like a San Francisco treat.
And you’ve probably never seen two roosters in the same vicinity. They get to fight each other over territory and hens pretty much on their own.
Not with goddamn knives tapped to their legs (or metal spurs which I read are used in Puerto Rico, I suppose those aren't as bad). Boxers and MMA fighters rarely die in the ring or lose an eye btw, they also do what they do by choice not because some drunk locked them up together. The human equivalent of cockfighting would be Roman gladiatorial combat.
You'll have to forgive me, I'm not with PETA but I am snooty Northern city boy.
It’s okay. You have to realize that we’re not fully civilized here in the islands. Never have, never will.
Kramer’s fighting cock was named “Little Jerry Seinfeld.” Funny episode.
And I don’t recall ever saying that a ban on cockfighting would create an economic catastrophe, but it certainly would piss off a lot of people.
I’ve never attended a cockfight, and I never will, but I would rank cockfighting pretty far down in a list of things that should not be allowed in a civilized society. Chickens are birds (they’re not even mammals, for crying out loud), they are nowhere near an endangered species, and if they aren’t fighting each other they’d be getting their heads cut off so that we can cook them and eat them.
“Ive never attended a cockfight, and I never will, but I would rank cockfighting pretty far down in a list of things that should not be allowed in a civilized society. Chickens are birds (theyre not even mammals, for crying out loud), they are nowhere near an endangered species, and if they arent fighting each other theyd be getting their heads cut off so that we can cook them and eat them.”
Yep, agreed. Much ado about nothing.
Let me see if I can find the thread, it was a few years ago. I think I commented that I wanted to see Fritz Hollings compete in the sport. ;p
Here we go
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2607407/posts#15
You told me in 2010 that 100,000 people were employed directly or indirectly in the industry. Adding significantly to the unemployment rolls would give me pause.
Yep, agreed. Much ado about nothing.
I'm sorry, but humanely speaking, there is a world of difference between chickens being slaughtered for food and chickens fighting each other to the death with razor spurs.
Either that, or trying to get an endorsement from Wilford Brimley.
Wow, I had completely forgotten about that. I must have just read an article about cockfighting in Puerto Rico when I posted that comment.
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