Free Republic

Hey Y'all, February 5th of 2005 will mark 7 years for me as a daily reader of, and sometimes contributor to, the Free Republic. While cleaning out a few files over the weekend, I came across the following piece of fiction I cranked out a few years ago after my friend Bill was killed in an accident. I wrote it for two reasons: 1.) to put my own life in perspective after losing someone I cared a great deal about and 2.) for Bill's sister, Sue. I wanted her to understand that although his life had been cut short, it...

Judge OKs Shooting Of Rabbits At Miami Airport Trapper Had Been Assigned To Remove Pests From Runway Area POSTED: 1:46 p.m. EDT July 11, 2003 UPDATED: 1:55 p.m. EDT July 11, 2003 MIAMI -- A judge let sharpshooters begin killing the last of the black-tailed jackrabbits at Miami International Airport on Thursday night. An animal supporter has asked for an emergency injunction to allow a trapper to keep catching them and shipping them to Texas for two more months. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Norman Gerstein said he isn't condoning or condemning the switch to sharpshooters, but he said it doesn't...

Has anyone in the Miami area heard about the incident at Miami Airport whereby the USDA is planning to shoot and kill hundreds of jackrabbits on Monday? If so, I would appreciate any news you may have. The situation has been in constant flux, but as of right now, things are as follows: The animals which number in the hundreds, have been living on the grounds of the airport for over twenty years. During this time, there has never been one case of a risk to humans or a flight security problem. The airport is concerned about a future problem...

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) Sonoma County musician Doug Bowes will remember this Easter season as the one where he happened upon the Easter Bunny, and it attacked him. Bowes was walking near his home at about 11 a.m. Wednesday when the attack occurred. A small, gray jack rabbit bounded toward him from a nearby fence. ``I thought, 'Gosh, this is somebody's pet,' '' Bowes said. He put his hand down in a friendly gesture and the bunny lunged and bit him. Bowes began to walk home, nursing a sore hand with broken skin, but the rabbit followed him. A short...