Calling progressive, liberal Dems!
Think there's a reasonable trade off in sacrificing constitutional civil rights and liberties--like private property, due process, equal protection, and privacy--in those new animal protection laws? Do ya?
Here's your question, then:
Are you ready to surrender your dog?
Are you? Cause this dog-owning, civil rights loving, long-time Democratic voter really wants to know.
Joe Trippi, gentleman farmer
Trippi, the guy who masterminded Howard Dean's internet campaign, has a new gig: Philadelphia mayoral hopeful Tom Knox. Trippi remains one of the most influential Democratic Party strategists in the country, and he lives on a fine little farmette on the Delmarva peninsula, within striking distance of the Capitol Beltway.
Trippi family home in the Dogs Deserve Better database?
Now, if Tammy Grimes and her vigilante posse ran off with Joe's dog, would he be cool with that? If Tammy creeped in some night and, citing the so-called "good samaritan law" that Trippi's other client, Best Friends Animal Society, is busy pitching to legislators. . .and she helped herself to his pets. . . that would be just fine.
Right, Joe? What's a little vigilante justice among friends? Due process is so last season.
If the fine little farm's address popped up in Tammy's database of anonymously contributed locations ripe for raids--not a problem. Right, Joe?
Joe Trippi: Are you ready to surrender your dog?
Senator Patrick Leahy, VT: Big Thumbs Up for Mandatory RFID Microchipping and Spies in the Sky Senator Leahy says he's no friend of domestic spying schemes which may eavesdrop on law-abiding U. S. citizens. So what's he doing supporting NAIS [the National Animal Identification System]?
Eavesdropping? Don't make me laugh. NAIS, in the words of Dr. Mary Zanoni, sets the USDA up with the ability "to subject the owner of a chicken to more intrusive surveillance than the owner of a gun."
You think my dog is a national security risk, Senator? You find a need to surveille my home in order to protect the national food supply? Due to the presence of my one dog?
Will Senator Leahy mind it when NAIS places the global positioning coordinates of his own home in a database? Because it will, if he or any member of his household owns a single cat. Or dog. Or chicken.
Note to Senator Leahy: lay off the sweet green beverage from the little paper envelope, Senator! RFID microchipping is not about homeland security. Its not about protecting the food supply.
Its about making money. Those pharmaceutical companies are set to make a bundle, particularly when they start marketing that database once NAIS rolls out.
Patrick Leahy: are you ready to give up your dog?
Testicle Wars: Marching on to New Mexico, courtesy Democratic head honchos Martin Chavez and Bill Richardson
Read it and weep. 
Democratic Albuquerque Mayor (freshly named to the DNC, by the way) Martin Chavez of New Mexico just made good on his promise to make the land of Dis Enchantment canine gonad-free.
Mandatory castration will be the SOP in the new New Mexico.
Of course, in Chavez's Albuquerque, Animal Control already doesn't have to bother with details like a search warrant if they're investigating an act of "cruelty." Rumors that doggy toe nails weren't clipped this week will suffice. So Mayor-wannabe-governor Martin Chavez, are you ready to surrender your dog? Cheri Bryant Hamilton: can't back-pedal fast enough in Louisville, KY Democratic City Councilmember Hamilton had better put a few miles between herself and the Pet Nazi animal control law she helped the Humane Society of the United States put in place in Louisville.
Things are getting a little difficult for dog and pet owners in Louisville these days, what with 90 new pages of animal control ordinances to comply with.
Has the Metro Animal Services Director been by to personally certify your fencing as now required by law, Cheri? I hope so. We wouldn't want anyone to confiscate your dog because your fence isn't six feet high, or sunk at least a foot under ground.
Cheri Bryant Hamilton: ready to surrender your dog yet?
This is your wake up call, Democrats!
Drop your what-nots and pull up your socks, boys! This bullshit's got nothing to do with Democratic Party values!
What's so "liberal" about warrantless searches of family homes?
What's "progressive" about vigilantes, and the routine surveillance of law-abiding citizens?
Why is discarding due process rights such a hot item in certain Democratic circles these days?
And are you ready to surrender your dog?
Because its coming to that.
Sooner than you think.
The situation in Louisville is even worse than you can imagine! The new ordinance was sold to the unsuspecting public as a 'Dangerous Dog' law that would protect them from lose/aggressive dogs on the streets of the west end. However, the actual 'dangerous dog' provisions of the new law are nearly identical to those of the old law that they claimed was 'inadequate' to protect the general public.
ReplyDeleteWhat changed in the new law? Well, now if you own a pet of any kind in Jefferson County, you're a criminal waiting to be discovered! Every violation of the new ordinance can result in jail time and CRIMINAL, not just civil, penalties. For what? Such gansta activities as walking your intact dog on a leash longer than 4 feet, or your kids taking a box to kittens to the shopping mall to try and give them away. Fines are from $150 to $1,000 and you could do up to a year in jail.
Even worse, this new law gives sole and unfettered discretion to one person to decide your fate and the fate of your pets: Animal Control Director, Dr. Gilles Meloche, DVM. Why is that a problem? For starters, Meloche is not even LEGALLY ABLE TO HOLD HIS JOB! Metro's own published job description AND Kentucky state law require that he be able to be sworn in as a peace officer. Rumor has it that he was, but if so, it was done illegally because he doesn't meet the two most critical tests to be a Peace Officer. The first is you have to be a US Citizen, (Meloche is Canadian and has a green card), the second is that you can't have been found guilty of any crime of 'moral turpitude' (he pled guilty to dozens of counts of selling Anabolic Steroids without a prescription or proper record keeping--but that was in Canada, so it doesn't count, eh?). Of course, the next question is how did he even get a green card with that on his rap sheet? Well, Dr. Meloche has a long history of having only a fleeting acquaintance with the truth, so you figure it out. But for now, this is the guy claiming to stand on the moral high road in Louisville.
Think that's bad? A year ago, when draft versions of the ordinance were being sent for approval through the County Attorney's Office, they were being declared to 'violate existing state and federal laws', to be 'unenforceable' and 'unintelligible'. And yet, the final version--more horrible than any of the drafts--sailed through the appproval process with flying colors and was signed off on by the County Attorney, Irv Maze, WHO IS NOW RUNNING FOR LT. GOVERNOR of Kentucky! We shudder to think what awaits the general public if this is Mr. Maze's idea of "legal, enforceable and intelliigent" legislation!
But wait, there's more! HSUS, the proud sponsor of the Louisville Anti-Pet ordinance, has springboarded their victory in the largest city in the state and rolled on to the capital. Presently, their own Pam Rogers is loose in the halls of Frankfort, using her Voldemort-like influence to get two bad pieces of animal legislation proposed and stall out the one good law in this short session.
Where will it end? Stay tuned! Meanwhile, a small group of dedicated freedom- and animal lovers have initiated one lawsuit and will be bringing others to bear on Louisville's Metro Council over this matter. And, now that innocent law-abiding pet owners are beginning to be harassed, they're realizing they might just have been sold a pig in a poke after all.
For more information, check out our new website, launching this week, at www.louisvillepetlovers.com. You don't want to miss it!