Month: June 2009

Oh, how I can’t wait for the Philadelphia Inquirer to shut down its presses.  That will be a glorious day, fit for celebration.  But then what will I use to get my blood pressure up, and have something to write about?   Wayne Pacelle has an op-ed in the Inquirer:

Five years ago last week, I took the helm of the Humane Society of the United States, an organization founded in 1954 with the goal of confronting cruelty to animals on a national scale.

If by cruelty, you mean hunting and eating animals, he’d be accurate.  They aren’t your local animal shelter, even though they are perfectly aware they capitalize on the confusion.

Similarly out of step with prevailing public sentiment is the National Rifle Association’s opposition to an anti-poaching bill before the state legislature. Introduced by State Rep. Edward Staback (D., Lackawanna, Wayne), the legislation would make it a felony to assault an officer enforcing the wildlife code; increase the state’s penalties for poaching, which are among the weakest in the nation; add jail time for chronic or serial poachers; and require the forfeiture of hunting licenses for poaching violations.

Pacelle is misrepresenting the NRA’s objections.  The NRA’s objection is that the proposed law would make a felony out of some minor game code violations.  It’s one thing to argue that assaulting a game officer ought to be a felony, but it’s an entirely different matter to argue that taking a deer over your bag limit ought to be treated like robbing a bank.  What Wayne won’t tell you is that he believes shooting a deer at all ought to be treated like murder.  Pennsylvania’s game laws are not notoriously weak, and are entirely comparable with other states.

One NRA representative reportedly told a group of lawmakers that there should be “an acceptable level of illegal activity.”

Reportedly told, yet you have a direct quote eh?

For instance, it remains legal to shoot dogs in the state – even after the owners of a puppy mill in Ronks shot their 80 breeding dogs last year, rather than comply with an order to give them basic veterinary care.

I guess we’ll have to have a Wayne Pacelle approved remake of Old Yeller.  Either way, HSUS make the Brady Campaign look like pikers.  Pacelle is slick, very smart, and very good at what he does.  Hunters in this state need to be very concerned that he’s targeting Pennsylvania.  Shooters need to be concerned, too, because HSUS has called for a comprehensive lead ammunition ban.  This is a huge threat to an important American cultural tradition, all wrapped up in the happy-feel good of your local helping the animals shelter.   PETA is a joke.  HSUS, which shares the same goals as PETA, is not.