Louisiana to ban cockfighting in '08

Has anyone sought Clinton Portis's thoughts on this?

 

The guy buried the lead. The ban on cockfighting goes into effect in August of 2008. But gambling on cockfighting will be banned effective August of this year.

Who's going to go to a cockfight if you can't bet?

 

What stops people from betting on dog fights?

 

The key dispute in the Senate debate was a bid by Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, to let individual parishes vote on whether to ban cockfighting.

Gautreaux, who said he has cockfighting pits in every parish in his senatorial district, tried to cast the debate as a bid to impose statewide rules of morality.

"We may have cockfighting pits, but we don't have strip joints," he said of his Acadiana district.

Gautreaux also compared cockfighting to hunting to rebut arguments that cockfighting carries no redeeming values.

"What's the redeeming value of a person taking a shotgun and shooting a bird flying toward them?" he asked. "Because it is a sport."
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One proponent of the sport from Acadiana, Rep. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, said the bill is not about cockfighting but where the line should be drawn to keep animal rights activists at bay.

Referring to the dozens of cockfighting enthusiasts who crammed the room and dozens more who overflowed into hallways, Hebert said: "The target is on these people's backs today, but who is the next target going to be? . . . This is about where we draw the line on what is humane and inhumane. Do we stop boiling crawfish? I'm sure the crawfish doesn't like it. . . . It is not wrong what we do in the country."
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Opponents of the bill included Agriculture Commissioner Bob Odom, who said, "It’s the culture of the people and it brings economic development to the people." Gamecock breeders are conscientious about preventing disease among their fowl, a job made easier by keeping the sport legal and "above board," Odom said.

"In a small community, you have to fight for every dollar you can," said Jerry Domengeaux, owner of a lumber yard and hardware store in Sunset. He said cockfighting has a big, positive impact on towns in his area and on his business when people visit for the fights.

 

In Roswell I wrote a big story on cockfighting in relation to a high school wrestler who raised cocks. Pissed all of the cockfight people off because they said it brought attention to their cockring that they didn't want.

 

Xan, your subtleness is uncanny.

 

Gatreaux, Meax, Domengeaux, Hebert, Jeanerette. Hmm, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the last cockfighting strongholds are the acadiana cajun country parishes. Gotta love Lousiana, a culture all its own.

 

I think you're right...I never heard much about cockfighting in north Louisiana...of course, you go north of Alexandria and you're in south Arkansas/northeast Texas. I seem to recall hearing that Sunset was a big place for cockfighting.

 

I guess you would go just to see two fine, well-conditioned athletes got at it until one of them is dead.

And for the tamales.

 

We don't want strippers but we want cockfighting... anyone else hear the banjo playing?

 

We don't want strippers but we want cockfighting... anyone else hear the banjo playing?
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No, but a washboard and jug are in the background.