Cockfighting Future Looking Bleak

Things are looking bleak for fans of cockfighting. First off, a raid last Saturday led to over 70 people being arrested in Van Buren, Arkansas and charged with gambling and animal cruelty (with an additional 50 warrants being served). This marks the biggest cockfighting bust in U.S. history. Of course, it should be noted that cockfighting is illegal in the state, so none of these people should be completely surprised by what happened.

In fact, Louisiana is the only remaining state where it’s still legal to engage in the sport of watching roosters stab each other to death. But if the Louisiana Senate has anything to say about it, that won’t be the case for long.

On Monday, they endorsed making wagering at cockfights a crime. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Art Lentini, passed by a 35-0 vote. There is also a measure in place which supporters hope will end legalized cockfighting in 2008. But until that time, anti-cockfighting supporters hope that taking away gambling will help cripple the activity that many view as backwards and savage.

Lentini mentioned that children as young as four were exposed to “the brutal fights among animals,” as well as gambling on the fights’ outcome. Big surprise - a politician citing the innocent little children to advance his own agenda. How original.

Under this new legislation, the penalty for a first offense would be up to a $500 fine and six months in jail. A second offense would incur a $1000 fine and land you in the slammer for up to a year. And operating a cockfighting facility might get you a fine of up to $20,000 and a whopping five years in jail.

Call me crazy, but that seems a bit harsh for fighting animals that would otherwise be raised to a point where they can be beheaded, plucked and then devoured. It‘s not exactly the same as dog fighting, despite what Clinton Portis might think.

The bill will now head to the House for debate.

Cockfighting Future Looking Bleak