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When traffic laws first came into effect, I wonder if people were in fear of their right of driving being taken away simply because laws were created. Sounds a little extreme I know, and of course today if you have enough traffic violations you can lose your license – it protects others.
Why is it that laws concerning the commercial dog breeding industry have scared citizens into believing that these laws designed to protect the producing dogs will somehow eliminate some of our basic human rights? The rights of people to have pets, raise cattle, eat meat and some of the other absurd notions that our legislators and organizations in favor of large-scale commercial dog breeding would like you to believe.
Last week’s press release from the office of Rep. Ward Franz (R- West Plains) of the 151st district, states that he has co-sponsored a bill (HB 1513) that better defines animal rights. Initially I could not believe what I was reading. To insinuate that dogs currently have equal rights or even more rights than people is ludicrous. Nowhere do our laws give animals such rights. This is just more of the same “scare tactics” used by our elected officials during Proposition B that had much of the general public running scared and unable to see through the rhetoric.
The introduction of this bill is a direct response to the new ballot initiative “Your Vote Counts”. The rights of voters are being over-ruled all over the country, and as we saw with Proposition B, certainly in Missouri. Missouri voters have had the right to pass laws directly by initiative petition since 1907. You would think the vote of the people would count but not so anymore. Missouri legislators have shown that they are more likely to overturn or rewrite a law passed by the people than allow what the people voted for to stand. That is why “Your Vote Counts” was formed.
Rep. Franz's bill reads that no animal shall have any right, privilege, or legal status that is equal to or greater than any right, privilege or legal status of a human being. Franz states, “The tactics used to trick voters during Prop. B is still being used in their new ballot initiative, Your Vote Counts. My hope is that this bill will stop these attempts to undermine our rights to own and raise animals once and for all.”
When traffic laws first came into effect, I wonder if people were in fear of their right of driving being taken away simply because laws were created. Sounds a little extreme I know, and of course today if you have enough traffic violations you can lose your license – it protects others.
Why is it that laws concerning the commercial dog breeding industry have scared citizens into believing that these laws designed to protect the producing dogs will somehow eliminate some of our basic human rights? The rights of people to have pets, raise cattle, eat meat and some of the other absurd notions that our legislators and organizations in favor of large-scale commercial dog breeding would like you to believe.
Last week’s press release from the office of Rep. Ward Franz (R- West Plains) of the 151st district, states that he has co-sponsored a bill (HB 1513) that better defines animal rights. Initially I could not believe what I was reading. To insinuate that dogs currently have equal rights or even more rights than people is ludicrous. Nowhere do our laws give animals such rights. This is just more of the same “scare tactics” used by our elected officials during Proposition B that had much of the general public running scared and unable to see through the rhetoric.
The introduction of this bill is a direct response to the new ballot initiative “Your Vote Counts”. The rights of voters are being over-ruled all over the country, and as we saw with Proposition B, certainly in Missouri. Missouri voters have had the right to pass laws directly by initiative petition since 1907. You would think the vote of the people would count but not so anymore. Missouri legislators have shown that they are more likely to overturn or rewrite a law passed by the people than allow what the people voted for to stand. That is why “Your Vote Counts” was formed.
Rep. Franz's bill reads that no animal shall have any right, privilege, or legal status that is equal to or greater than any right, privilege or legal status of a human being. Franz states, “The tactics used to trick voters during Prop. B is still being used in their new ballot initiative, Your Vote Counts. My hope is that this bill will stop these attempts to undermine our rights to own and raise animals once and for all.”
Yes, many Missourians were tricked during the drive for Prop. B but not the ones Rep Franz is referring to. Those on the side of Rep. Franz were the ones doing the tricking. I no longer become surprised by the antics of our elected officials after what I saw happen first hand last fall. My visit to Jefferson City for hearings only solidified what I already knew. The anti Prop B movement was backed heavily by the Missouri Farm Bureau. It had farmers and those in the agriculture industry convinced that Prop. B would cause Missourians to lose many of their basic rights as farmers and land owners. Those that didn’t educate themselves about the true meaning of the proposition were easily convinced. A sad fact for the many thousands of dogs that are at the hands of licensed, yet sub standard breeders.
Your vote counts. It should count. They weaseled around it once and probably will again. Proposition B was “gutted” and turned into the Canine Compromise. While a far cry from the standards set forth in Prop. B, it has called for improvement in the care and conditions of Missouri’s commercial kennels. Educate yourselves and look into this industry and what is driving it. I recommend a DVD, “I Breathe” and visiting the site of the MAAL (Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation) if you seek more information on Missouri’s commercial dog breeding industry.
Until they all have a home…
