Yeah, Right, Whatever

Those fun, whacky folks in West Hollywood are at it again.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Leaders in this tiny city known for its progressive (read "stark raving mad liberal"- B.) views are seeking to ban cosmetic surgery - for pets.

West Hollywood's mayor plans to introduce a motion Monday that would prohibit ear cropping, tail docking, debarking, defanging and other surgical procedures performed on animals for "noncurative" reasons...Such procedures, supporters say, hurt the animals to satisfy their owners' tastes.

Cool! So they're going to ban human plastic surgery, too... right? I mean... that's almost always "noncurative" and definitely to satisfy someone's tastes.

Already law in many European countries, the ban would be the first of its kind in the United States, said Mayor John Duran.

Notice how he says that as if that's a good thing?

It's not the first time this 2-square-mile city surrounded by Los Angeles and Beverly Hills championed animal rights.... It already has laws forbidding cat declawing and designating its residents as pet guardians rather than pet owners. Last year, the city started regulating pet-grooming companies by mandating that animals have fresh water and local businesses report injuries related to grooming within 24 hours.

"Animal rights"? Please point to which section, exactly, Animal Rights appear in the Constitution. Heads up, Boys and Girls, under the law, animals have no rights, at least not in the way y'all mean. But more on that later.

"We recognize we have an opportunity to provide leadership on public policy," said City Councilman Jeffrey Prang, co-sponsor of the motion. "Somebody always has to be first. Animal welfare is something West Hollywood feels strongly about."

And I applaud your willingness to take the lead in this. Gives me hours of grins and giggles.

Mark Hiebert, head of emergency medicine and surgery at TLC Pet Medical Centers, was dismayed the city might enact another law that could infringe upon the decisions of veterinarians and pet owners.

Darla Dorr, former president of the Los Angeles Doberman Pinscher Club who has raised the dogs for 40 years, rejected the idea that ear cropping was cruel.

Given proper care, the puppies are soon "racing around the house as if nothing's been done," she said.

Dr. Heibert, how dare you think that you and members of the veterinary medicine community know more about animals and their health and care than members of the city council. I mean, really! They only doing what they know (after doing all of 37 minutes of research and listening to annecdotal evidence from members of several PETA-ish organizations) is best for our companions. And, Dr. Heibert... they're not owners, they're companions... get with the program!

If the measure passes, the city attorney will draft an ordinance that will become law 30 days after the City Council gives final approval.

As if there's any chance of someone finding a Clue™ between now and then.

Before I go any further, I'd like to point out one thing:

God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.... God blessed them: 'Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.' "(Gen 1:26, 28 The Message Bible)

Yeah, I know... it's from that nasty, evil Bible thing. Get over it. Here's what PETA says about those verses:

Dominion is not the same as tyranny. The Queen of England has "dominion" over her subjects, but that doesn't mean she can eat them, wear them, or experiment on them. If we have dominion over animals, surely it is to protect them, not to use them for our own ends. There is nothing in the Bible that would justify our modern-day policies and programs that desecrate the environment, destroy entire species of wildlife, and inflict torment and death on billions of animals every year. The Bible imparts a reverence for life; a loving God could not help but be appalled at the way animals are being treated.

What's funny is that I agree with 2/3 of what that paragraph says. God gave us dominion, to be good stewards ( One who manages another's property, finances, or other affairs- dictionary.com) of His world. This does not mean to be wasteful, destroying it without thought. Excessive pollution is wrong, as is subjecting animals to cruel and tomenting experimentation (unless... and it's a big unless, you can prove that it will probably help save human lives). God has commanded us to be responsible for the world around us.

Where I disagree whole-heartedly is that we are not to use the plant and animal kingdom for our own ends. (There are scientists who say that plants feel pain, so...) Why else is it there? He puts all things here for a reason (I mean, if he made a fire ant...), so, I have to presume that He knew what he was doing when he made cow hide tannable and chicken and many fish and pigs and cows taste so yummy. He would have made us not want those things if he didn't want us to eat them, and he wouldn't have made our bodies need help with temperature control if He didn't want us to wear clothes.

Also, did you ever notice that the animals we eat are not endangered. Welcome to a market based economy !! The best way to save an endangered animal is to find a good recipe for it. (And, if we're eating it anyway, why not use the hides? To do otherwise is not being a wise steward, right?)

OK... back to the story... in the end, this is nothing more than a study in lunacy. Unfortunately, my desire for someone to get a Clue™ will always be just that, a desire. These are the people who believe that humanity is nothing more than a virus on the earth, inflicting disease on the Wonderful World evolution has brought into being. They are unwilling to believe that God (their version or mine or any other) would ever put US in charge.

All that said... Some of the procedures discussed are probably cruel and unnecessary. Those should be outlawed. (Technically, since there are alreadylaws against animal cruelty, wouldn't those already be against the law.) But other ones (ear cropping, declawing), if done properly, are not a big deal. But they will never believe that, because humans can't possibly do anything in an animal's best interest, right?

Hey, wait! I just figured it out. They're moonbats, right? They're probably just afraid that we'll figure out how to "fix" them, so they're trying to nip that one in the bud, so to speak.