A declawed, defanged bear is chained to a stake as hunting dogs bark and snap, trying to force the bear to stand on its hind legs. The training exercise called bear baying is intended to make the bears easier to shoot in the wild and it's only allowed in South Carolina.I'd like to just say that this is more evidence proving my point that South Carolina is fucked (and, to be honest, it is)...
Armed with new undercover video of four such events, the Humane Society of the United States is pressuring state officials to explicitly outlaw the practice, which the organization says is effectively banned in every other state. Animal rights advocates say it's cruel to the nearly defenseless bears and harms them psychologically.
Hunters say the exercise popular in the state's hilly northwestern corner helps them train their dogs on what to do when they come across a bear during a hunt.
...
The videos, which were recorded with hidden cameras by activists posing as spectators, show an adult black bear standing on all fours, its back to a 4-foot high wooden fence, tethered to the ground by several feet of chain. Crowds of a few dozen line the dirt pen around it.
...
Mr. Kelly said the bear is kept in a cage while dogs on 3-foot leashes bark at it, with judges rating the dogs on how well they pay attention to and become accustomed to being close to the much bigger animal.
That description isn't backed up by the Humane Society's videos, which clearly show the dogs and bear swatting each other. The dogs aren't on leashes, and one of them was injured after the bear slapped it, Mr. Markarian said.
...but then I remember that it wasn't until 2007 that cockfighting was outlawed in New Mexico.
People suck.
4 comments:
As a twenty year resident of South Carolina (yes, you can actually find yourself reluctantly stuck for that long!), I'd like to say that you couldn't possibly be more right about this place! The government, the corruption, the ignorance, and the bulk of public opinion are objectionable to me--repugnant, even.
It's an odd thing to live in a place that has such natural physical beauty and to both love and despise its history. To utterly despise its leadership. It's odd, too, to have found a circle of liberal friends at last--through blogging--and to join them in trashing the hell out of this ignunt l'il swamp. As a military family, we have lived in most regions of the country and in one Asian country; we've found things to love in most of them and I've found things to love here, but if you'll buy my house, I'll give you a real deal.
P.S. Your comment on my Beck/Palin 9/11 post was perfection. May I re-post it at Swash Zone?
Yep, most of the time, most people just suck.
Who stands around watching something as sick as this and considers it entertainment?
South Carolina has long been considered the pustulant boil on America's ass but which state is any better really?
Here in NC we finally have Susie's Law named after a dog that was beaten and set on fire but lived. We have the law now but there have been at least three horrific animal torture cases since the law was signed.
People really suck and there are just too many of them.
Nance,
I've driven through South Carolina a couple of times and thought it was amazingly beautiful. But even then, I joked about some of the broken-down, POS shacks, with a top-of-the-line (2 decades ago) satellite dish and huge shiny caddy parked out front.
But when I stopped and actually talked to people, it didn't take long for the weird to come crawling to the surface. Don't think I'd want to live there. But good luck on that, Nance. (And yes, the comment is yours to abuse as you wish.)
Rocky,
Oh, yeah. And it's nothing new. Seems we haven't progressed too far from the caves and the clubs, when you get down to it.
I think that the predatory attitude we evolved from just boils to the surface as "bully" way too often.
Question on 'people suck': Why must they do it so loudly? I mean, what with the bell curve and all, one has to accept the inevitable dope now and again, but why do we keep sticking a mic and/or camera on these bottom feeders? It’s like we’re proud of stupid. Oh well, great to find your site. I’m a 23 year vet followed by 15 years attempting public education here in glorious ol’ SC, home of ‘Beautiful Places and Friendly Faces’…just don’t try and start a rational conversation with a lot of those FF’s.
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