Friday, April 20, 2007

Dog fighting is appalling


Dog fighting and cock fighting are appalling and barbaric. That is why all but one state in the nation has banned cockfighting, and that last state, Louisiana, thankfully, appears to be acting to stop this bloody phenomenon.

The question that was presented to us recently in Congress is whether the federal government should pass stiffer penalties for cockfighting and dog fighting. My answer was this: Do my constituents really want Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi telling them what to do, telling them what the penalties should be for crimes committed in our state? Or is this something the people of Idaho, through their elected representatives, can address? Should our limited federal resources be used to go after dog and cock fighters? I'd rather direct those resources toward drug cartel operatives and terrorists.

While it would be easy for me to vote for anything that outlaws bad behavior, the bill before us would have poked the federal government's head into places where the states should reasonably be expected to act. It's hard to vote "no," believe me. I could have easily joined the majority and said "yes" to the passage of the bill. I'd rather do what's right because it's right and not because it's easy.

Rep. Bill Sali

R-Idaho




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