Pauls Valley Democrat

GUEST EDITORIAL
Oklahoma needs to divest itself
Jun
03 from shadowy, sinister world of
2020 cockfighting
Good for Drew Edmondson for taking a

A
Page
A004 stand against Oklahoma’s role as a prime
Clip
resized
breeding ground for fighting chickens.
70% The former Oklahoma attorney general is
asking U.S. Attorney Brian J. Kuester to inves-
tigative allegations of trafficking and illegal te
possession of fighting fowl. That’s because the to
Muskogee-based Kuester has jurisdiction for th
the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“The Eastern District is fraught with indi- ba
viduals who have been involved in the global w
trafficking and fighting of birds,” Edmondson
said in a released statement. “It is a felony ex
under state and federal law to buy, sell, deliver th
or own any bird with the intent that such bird st
shall engage in a cockfight, and that’s clearly
what we’re seeing.” al
We agree that this deserves a probe from It
law enforcement officers and prosecutors. A
Especially after The Frontier reported that our th
state is one of the biggest exporters of game to
fowl used in illegal cockfights in America, ne
according to a national animal rights group.
Enid native Louisa McCune, executive direc- be
tor of the Kirkpatrick Foundation that sup- hu
ports a number of animal welfare causes, said ta
she hopes law enforcement investigates the B
possible breeding, selling and shipping of roost- se
ers used for this “unconscionable blood sport.” se
It has been 20 years since the barbaric in
practice of fighting chickens for fun and profit in
became a felony in Oklahoma. Now it is high ne
time to crack down on the breeders raising
these birds and then shipping them to Guam. S
This inhumane sport needs to be stamped le
out and our state. Oklahoma needs to divest T
itself totally from this shadowy and sinister th
world. ro
Enid News ca

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