Time for the Legislature to stop these slaughters
We like to think of ourselves as more enlightened than our distant forefathers, but sometimes that’s not really the case.
Believe it or not, it’s still perfectly legal for organizations in Pennsylvania to use live pigeons for target practice in skeet-shooting events, though there’s some optimism the days of this barbaric practice might finally be numbered.
The debate on live pigeon shoots goes back decades, and to date, efforts to get our state legislators to step in and put a halt to them have fallen on deaf ears.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported a bill that originated in the state House to ban the selling or slaughtering of dogs and cats for human consumption is now before the state Senate, where the Judiciary Committee added an amendment to outlaw pigeon shoots. If the Senate OKs the bill, another House vote would be required before it could be sent to Gov. Tom Corbett.
This time, supporters of the ban have a large chunk of money and a famous face backing their efforts. Longtime “Price is Right” host Bob Barker, an animal rights activist for many years, gave a $1 million grant to a group known as SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), and the organization is using some of that money to run television commercials featuring Barker and images of wounded and dead birds. Says Barker in the spot, “Live pigeon shoots held in Pennsylvania are horrific, brutal acts of animal cruelty.”
We agree with Barker. The National Rifle Association, of course, does not.
The Post-Gazette quoted a statement on the website of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action that calls for opposition to the bill. It said, in part, “Shoots have been held in Pennsylvania for more than 100 years, and their participants are law-abiding, ethical shooting enthusiasts.”
Law-abiding? For now. Ethical? Hardly.
We are glad to see one of our local state House members, Upper St. Clair Republican John Maher, is the sponsor of the measure to ban the shoots. We hope his colleagues in the Legislature can overcome their typical fear of the NRA and, to borrow a phrase from Barker, “come on down” to the floors of their respective chambers and vote in favor of this bill.