Ruling protects people as well as animals
PUBLISHED EDITORIAL REPLY:
Journal News, The (Westchester County, NY)
The Journal News
June 10, 2002
IN REPLY
Ruling protects people as well as animals
Kiley Blackman
I was surprised to see The Journal News come out
against the Traveling Animal Act Ordinance that was recently enacted in the
Town of Greenburgh. The Journal News has previously shown itself to be fair
to both sides of many issues, and also to be willing to give a compassionate
voice to a variety of issues of respect and decency for all beings that
share this Earth.
These ordinances have been enacted in the United States
and worldwide for several years now Greenburgh has done nothing unusual by
signing on. Your argument, "Accidents can happen . . . driving a car or
walking down the street" is flawed on its face: Laws have indeed been
enacted concerning both, such as the seat-belt law and the law against
jaywalking (and certainly both have caused debate over government
intrusion).
Also, unlike driving or walking, this ordinance
involves bringing a known danger to ! town. This is no different from the
efforts in Mount Vernon to get the pipeline rerouted in case of problems, or
enacting safety laws in case of terrorist activity at Indian Point.
Towns have a right to protect their safety and reduce
liability. We live in a litigious society. On my behalf, attorney Joel R.
Perry served the Town of Greenburgh with a notice of dangerous condition,
which stated in part: "Having licensed a traveling show of wild animals
including, but not limited to tigers, bears and elephants, which pose
serious dangers, such as mauling, goring, impaling and trampling, to the
public and performers, leading to property damage, serious injuries and/or
death by permitting said dangerous conditions to exist within its confines,
this municipality is exposing itself to lawsuits that would adversely affect
property taxes of both store owner and private citizen."
In light of this, your position that circus and rodeo
acts be scrutinized case-by-case becomes foolhardy at best. Last year, we
raced to Webb Field to attend to a sick , frightened Clyde Beatty elephant
there but for mere luck was an elephant rampage, as had just happened in
Poughkeepsie. If the lawsuits start to fly, is it really worth it for an
hour of supposed fun?
Furthermore, your statement that the Outdoor Amusement
Business Association is a viable overseer of animal abuse cases is absurd,
with too many examples against it to cite here. The bottom line is, when
profit is involved, the animals lose. Always. This is true of any beings,
human or non-human animals, whose basic rights are compromised in society.
Thank you, Supervisor Paul Feiner and Town Board, for
taking a step toward safety, respect and decency for all. As Town Board
member Eddie Mae Barnes poignantly stated as she cast her pro-ordinance
vote: "It's time for a change."
The writer, a Yonkers resident, is Northeast
representative of SHARK (Showing Animals Respect & Kindness)/Westchester.
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