Cockfighting; imposes penalty of Class 6 felony on any person who knowingly engages in venture. (HB1057)

Does our law makers have nothing better to do with thier times than to introduce the same bill 3 or 4 times ? Crime vs. Time ? Is this show by our elected officials of introducing 4 seperat bills on pretty much the same thing make any sense ?

1. HB32, a class 1. misdemeanor
2. HB1057 class 6 felony
3. HB656 class 6 felony
4. SB592 a class 6 felony

No, I don't think they do. Wish with all their idle time, they'd pass a law for state law enforcement / corectional personel to be able to retire from there stressful jobs sooner. Now that would be beneficial.

HB1057, if enacted into law, will implement a far too severe penalty for citizens of Virginia. After all, we are talking about chickens, not crimes against humans. To pass HB1057 would elevate crimes against animals to a higher level than most violent offenses against human beings. Do you think that fighting chickens is worse than domestic violence? Do you think it's worse than infected sexual battery? Parental kidnapping? Assault and battery by mob? I do not! Additionally, we already have a law against cockfighting on the books. It is working; witness the recent raids in Virginia. People are being prosecuted under existing laws.

But what about our great Virginia heritage that Politicians are always talking about? Are you forgetting that at our very earliest settlements in Virginia, such as Williamsburg, there was a cockpit? Have you forgotten that great Virginians like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson raised and fought gamecocks? It is in their papers, both at Mount Vernon and Monticello. Would we sentence the Father of Our Country to prison? And indeed a great, great majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence along with him! I can see responses now saying, "Those people also kept slaves". Well that is true; the difference is that slaves didn't want to be slaves; gamefowl love to fight!

As far as cruelty, it is true that cockfighting is a blood sport, just like hunting and fishing. The difference is that 50% or more of gamecocks survive their contests and go on to live a pampered secure life. This is not so for animals that are hunted or fished for by man; close to 100% of those targeted are killed or seriously wounded. Incidently, being put to death is the first thing that happens to these marvelous fowl as soon as they are "rescued" by the Humane Society or one of their related organizations under the guise that they are "made to fight" (one can't make a fowl fight if they don't want to), they are given steroids or other drugs to "make them super aggressive" so they can't be "rehabilitated" and must be killed (rehabilitated to what? Also, drugs do not make gamefowl aggressive, nature has taken care of that; it is natural to them to be aggressive toward other male fowl). However, fowl are given performance enhancement supplements just as human athletes are.

We need to spend our scarce resources in a prioritized manner and on more serious crimes that actually have human victims and on those items that will help our citizens, not harshly penalize them for minor, victimless activities. Crimes like murder, robbery, terrorism, rape, and items like education, immigration reform, health care reform and so forth need our attention more so than chickens and some potential small time gambling. I say small time because of the headlines from last year's cockfighting raid at Boydton, VA where it was reported that $40,000 was seized and 145 people arrested. Great headlines for the Humane Society of the United States, but that’s only an average of about $275.00 per person - and we know that those folks were not going to bet every penny in their pocket. Hardly a gambler’s Mecca! As far as illegal gambling is concerned, I just heard on television that about $480,000,000 would be gambled on the Super Bowl! Wow! That’s more money than would be gambled on cockfights all over the United States in the next 100 years!

Also consider the economic impact of HB1057 enactment. There are thousands of people in Virginia involved in the raising (and for some perhaps the fighting) of game fowl. Such a severe penalty for a victimless crime will result in many legitimate breeders being wrongfully accused of being cockfighters simply because they raise gamefowl with combs, wattles and spurs trimmed (a show standard for showing gamefowl). With thousands of people in Virginia raising gamefowl a significant amount of sales tax revenue is accrued to the Commonwealth simply from the sales tax on the feed. Add to that the tax from money spent on wire and lumber and other hardware, flock vitamins, antibiotics and other medications, gas for transportation, wages for helpers, etc., and we have a very severe economic impact on this states tax revenues and many small business owners. The states of Arizona and Oklahoma recently passed such laws and many small farmers and small business owners went out of business and onto the unemployment rolls, sadly having to depend on welfare - more adverse economic impact on the state and individual hardship for citizens. Not to mention that for each individual incarcerated one year will cost Virginia taxpayers another $25-30,000. In those other states, many small towns which were dependent on the local cockers, as they are known, gas stations, motels and restaurants are now closed and the buildings boarded up. None of this includes the loss to the small farmers of the Commonwealth who sell their birds as an agricultural enterprise to people in other states or countries. The numbers then become large indeed.

Again, we do not need to put chickens above human beings in our criminal justice system. Think about it!!!

You make some very good points Ron and I especially agree with the below listed part of your post as this too is another argument with these type of bills.

Ron wrote:
Also consider the economic impact of HB1057 enactment. There are thousands of people in Virginia involved in the raising (and for some perhaps the fighting) of game fowl. Such a severe penalty for a victimless crime will result in many legitimate breeders being wrongfully accused of being cockfighters simply because they raise gamefowl with combs, wattles and spurs trimmed (a show standard for showing gamefowl). With thousands of people in Virginia raising gamefowl a significant amount of sales tax revenue is accrued to the Commonwealth simply from the sales tax on the feed. Add to that the tax from money spent on wire and lumber and other hardware, flock vitamins, antibiotics and other medications, gas for transportation, wages for helpers, etc., and we have a very severe economic impact on this states tax revenues and many small business owners.

Again, we do not need to put chickens above human beings in our criminal justice system. Think about it!!!

I agree, and god bless you.

I wonder if in the future chickens will be able to vote for people running for govenor,or president.

junebug32 writes:

I wonder if in the future chickens will be able to vote for people running for govenor,or president.

I realistically don't think that will every happen. Only way is if God meant for it to be that way, which I think he did not.

Cockfighting has been with us in Asia since time immemorial. Brought to Europe by Alexander the Great (325 B.C.), the art of gamefowl breeding was further developed by the English royalties and noblemen more than a thousand years ago and considered a noble and a gentlemen's sport. These fowls were brought by the English and Irish when they migrated to the New World America. Thereon, they were propagated by gamefowl lovers and regular fights were held and attended by people from all walks of life. Straight and crook, rich and poor mingle together and talk proudly about their fowls without a dividing wall between them. It is a gathering where the most fortunates and the least fortunates of people see eye to eye, sit side by side, literally rub elbows, so close they can even smell each other.

As a moral issue, it depends on which side are you on. A flip of a coin will always have winners on either sides as a principle. Let's put a few example on these:

A. Pres. George Washington (1775-1784) an avid cocker fought his Red Quills/yellow Jackets fowl. During the American/British War, he brought along with him his roosters and will hold a cockfight amongst his subordinates and soldiers in a moment when ranks between them become even. His army's mascot was the Continental Blue Hen, a fast fighting strain of gamecock. Born with inherited slaves and estate, he always believed that slavery is immoral, and in contradiction with his struggle for liberty against English rule and willed that upon his and his wife's death, his over 300 slaves be freed and whoever needs education be sent to school.

B. Nicolas Arrinngton - (1816) of N. Carolina was a very wealthy plantation owner. Once fought his chickens against Gen. Sta. Ana of Mexico in a 300 cocks main that lasted more than a week. Considered by many during his time as an immoral person because of his fairness to his slaves, especially his partly disabled handler named Tony. He named his strain of fowls the Cripple Tony Roundheads.

C. Pres. Andrew Jackson (nicknamed Old Hickory)(1829 -1837) with his personal strain of Old Hickory and Blackhackle fowls. Although he ceded or renege from his promise, was always benevolent to the indians and black slaves.

D. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) - a cocker and fair cockfigting referee nicknamed Honest Abe, stood against slavery.

Thomas Jefferson, and many more great people who fought their fowlsl. Can we consider them immoral? And those animal lovers who posed nude in magazines. Are they morally right? Public nudity is an animal behavior. I would rather let my kids pass in the corridor full of cockfighting videos than in the corridor full of animal lovers in pornography, wars, killings, and corruptions.

Some animal lovers will leave millions to their pets, nothing to their kins and servants. Who's human? Who's an animal?

I love my dogs and my fowls. And I fight my gamecocks.

Absolutely ridiculous... These tells us that we can't trust these politician that we voted for. They are about for the special interest that can get their pockets full of cash. Raising and fighting chicken is a crime? I'm sure those fellas before us are laughing hard up there. Politicians are driving us on a wrong direction. Much needed money by our community are being spent on a self centered proposition.

why do we need more laws on us. They Passed a law last year to take care of the problem. They also passed a law to make it a felony to fight dogs, but they are not taking everybodies pit bull dog.SO Why take my roosters.How many gamecocks do you think the animal people have saved since they started this bull, I'll tell you 0000000 NONE . They have killed everyone that they got there hands on. I pay my taxes in va. let me decide to killed my roosters, not someone out of state.

This is so rediculous. My 6 year old son can see 2 humans fight till death on national TV but is not allowed to see 2 chickens fight.. Or better yet he can see hunters shooting deer/elk for the fun of it on TV but yet he will get a felony for seeing 2 chickens fight. What is wrong with this picture.. I thought i was in America and not in a 3rd world country...

Cockfighting; penalty. Imposes a penalty of a Class 6 felony on any person who knowingly engages in an animal fighting venture that involves two or more cocks or other animals, except dogs.

It does say other animals. Where do we fall in there ? I just watched UFC 80 Rapid Fire. BJ Penn & Joe Stevenson definitly looked like animals as Penn choked out a Stevenson with a rear naked choke. Blood spurting from Stevenson's head from a cut opened up one of Penns brutal elbo's covered both men & soaked the rings canvas. This was Televised across the world. It seems people are more worried about animals they are humans. Ofcoarse, I've never seen a near naked ring girl strut around between pittings either.

I believe this is wrong. We are being prejudiced against people who are not from this country and have been doing cockfighting for many years from the time that they were children. The people who are so against this don't even know what really happens not only during the cockfights but the love and attention that is put into the roosters before the fights. The roosters are not just healthier then the common househould dog, they are given a life of healthy food, attention, a clean environment, and even a love that cannot be explained or denied. These animals are not killed the are not trained to kill, they are simply given a chance to do what it their basic instinct to do. Many people go out into a deer's own environment and shot them dead only to bring them home cut them up and eat them. This to me is inhumane and if you are going to take away all our freedom start with the cruelty of killing an animal with a shotgun...

Has anyone thought about what would happen to every single rooster if this was to pass?

I know they will die, either by the hands of Animal Rights Groups or by owners who out of fear of being turned into a felon. These are silly type bills that we should not even be wasting our time or tax payers dollars on; they are flooding our legislation and taking the time away from our elected officials who could be doing something positive for our great state.

@Raymond: I would submit that killing a deer for food is a "lesser cruelty" than breeding animals so that they'll fight.

We are being prejudiced against people who are not from this country and have been doing cockfighting for many years from the time that they were children.

I'm curious what you mean by "people who are not from this country". Are you talking about immigrants from countries where cockfighting is more common? I admit that I am not well informed in this aspect.

Dear Tim: Ask the dead deer how he feels about "lesser cruelty". OOPS! We can't! He's just as dead as the gamecock! I can't speak for the deer but they probably don't want to be shot, but I can guarantee you that gamecocks love to fight!

Why are we putting such a high value on a chicken? I care for over 200 gamefowl daily.They are beatiful animalsand our entire family enjoys every aspect related to these animals.My husband has had this line of chickens since he was 11 years old. The people we have meet because we have these game-birds are the kind of people that would give you a dollar even if they had only two.This is deffinatly a FAMILY operation.These animals fight,why? well,roosters of ALL the chicken breeds "fight"....Males of all spieces fight.....so why take away our wonderful way of life,because a few people understand NOTHING about our American history.....yes our presidents faught chickens,in the white house even!!!!!! and put an unrealistic value on the life of an animal they eat probably 2 or 3 times a week.Oh ,I wonder if they realize THAT chicken was 6 weeks old,de-beaked ,de-clawed and lived in overcrowded conditions ,stomping around in it's own feces!!!! My chickens live in roomy,individual pens ,are feed the highest quality food and many of them have lived to the ripe-old age of 15...I truley love these chickens,BUT they are JUST chickens.Let the small man win!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am wondering if there is a possibility of them combining this bill with HB656. It really makes no sense to have 3 bills (including SB592) of the same caliber and almost identical verbiage. Even though I have my doubts, I hope these bills are defeated, as I feel it is the right thing to do.

ALL WE HERE ABOUT FROM OUR WAR MONGERING LEADERS
IS FREEDOM, FREEDOM, FREEDOM. FREEDOM TO DO WHAT?
YOU CANT DO ANYTHING WITHOUT PAYING A FINE,
FEE OR SHOWING YOUR PAPERS. THIS COUNTRY IS
TURNING INTO THE USSA. WE BEAT THE RUSKIES JUST
TO TURN INTO THEM? THESE ARE CHICKENS FOR GOD
SAKES! GO DOWN TO A COMMERCIAL CHICKEN RANCH
AND TELL ME ABOUT THE HAPPY LIFE OUR FUTURE
MCNUGGETS LIVE. GIVE ME A DAMN BREAK, THESE
ARE NOT DOGS OR CATS, THEY ARE DINNER.
WHAT THE HELL FREEDOM DO WE HAVE LEFT IN
THIS SORRY ASS COUNTRY???

I agree with red white and blue 100% on this one. All my life I was taught about the freedom we have in this country and he/she said it....WHAT FREEDOM!

JAIL FOR FIGHTING CHICKENS?????
THEY TAP OUR PHONES, THROW PEOPLE IN GITMO
WITHOUT TRIALS, STEAL OUR ELECTIONS, CANT
THE GOVERNMENT AT LEAST SEX IT UP A BIT,
WHY DONT THEY CLAIM FORIEGNERS ARE RAISING
CHICKENS AND ARE TEACHING THEM TO CRASH
INTO BUILDINGS FOR THE NEXT BIG POULTRY 9/11.
THAT WOULD BE AS BELIEVABLE AS ANYTHING ELSE
OUR DUMBASS IN CHIEF TELLS US!!

only in a backward state like virginia,
where you pay tax on your car, not once,
BUT EVERY YEAR! well, this is a state
stupid enough to have elected GEORGE (MACACA)
ALLEN to the senate. why did we even fight
the civil war?? lincoln should have just
let the south go their own way, the south
is an american EMBARASSMENT!!! REDNECK FREAKS.

if aperson leaves his dog in a car and it dies you are breaking the law leave your child and the child dies no crime and everyone feels sorry for you and you can be a spokesperson for kids in car and you can have more children now i have been going to cockfights most of my life and if it was up to me this woman would be jailed and at the birth of her next child the child would be removed and the woman would be sterilized because if it happen once it could again now who are the sick ones what value human life it seems in todays society not as much as a animal weird isnt it just the views of a cockfighter

yeah how come that is no punishment for locking your child in the car but there is some for leaving a pet in the car? UUMMM......

The End Is Near!! I think you folks should take up a new sick hobby. How about pulling the wings off flies or turning turttles on their backs. You might want to buy a FRY_DADDY or 2. cause you gona have a lot of tough ol bird to eat.

I'd rather put them in a fry daddy than turn them over the tree huggers like you to die in the state run gas gas chambers or be given the lethal injection. These ole tough birds would be a lot better to eat than that steriod grown crap you eat at KFC & buy at the supermarket. You and people like you should live in countries like Iraq, then instead of worring about what's happening to animals you could be more concerned with keeping your head on your shoulders. You should take up a sick hobby - have you molested your child, beat your wife, or stalked anyone today. Its only a misdemeanor.

Rev. Aldridge writes:

The End Is Near!! I think you folks should take up a new sick hobby. How about pulling the wings off flies or turning turttles on their backs. You might want to buy a FRY_DADDY or 2. cause you gona have a lot of tough ol bird to eat.

I feel your comments are totally uncalled for and unnecessary. This is supposed to be about discussing the bills not your stinky opinion and cheap shots. Do us a favor and keep it to yourself.

Rev. Aldridge writes:

The End Is Near!!

I agree the end of time is very near.

You are right Cross Creek. I almost got kicked off here for retaliating against this type of post. I apologize Waldo, I hope you understand. Its hard to respond favorably to such comments.
I do agree with the good Rev. on one thing - "The End Is Near". It has to be when the world starts putting animals (chickens in this case) on a higher level than ourselves.

It seems to me that people need to send a prayer out to the rev. for his soul maybe oneday people will stop trying to destroy culture through politics and understand that people have different beleifs maybe try practicing what the good book says I am against this bill

I agree with you guys Red White & Blue, CCGF. I Love This Hobby 7 Days a week 365 days a year. Rain,sleat,snow I am out there. It's hard to get people that have not been raised around a farm or chickens too understand why we as gamefowl breaders do what we do. And it breaks my heart knowing we are in a fight to save our future and our chickens future. All of us in this sport strive to be better breaders, keep records,and look foward to watching a clutch of chicks hatch out. What's gonna happen to the blood lines .I feel like I'm being presured into destroying my birds.I have always lived out in the "country" raised on a farm. Now days it's go to walmart to get eggs,milk ,bacon.These bills affect our lives in a big way,I can't live the city way of life, a city person would starve to death out in the country.

I hate to see this come to pass, but it appears our Representatives had turned their deaf ear toward the people. But never the less I will never give up my game fowl, unless they make it a felony to even own a chicken. I also am smart enough to know I will be one of the first ones targeted by the HSUS and their gang members, but they will be wasting their time as I am 100% legal and will remain that way. I also am putting away some cash for when they falsely accuse me so I can dig into their rich deep pockets and get me some of their tax-exempt money. I have begun an inventory on all my fowl and with every band number on my fowl there is a breed, age and a price, so euthanasia will not come cheap if I am targeted because these fowl cannot be replaced or duplicated. I can only suggest to others to do the same, because our lawmakers are opening the doors up for us to be harassed and falsely accused and I feel it is unjustified. I also urge all who own game fowl farms to read up on “The Animal Terrorism Act Of 2006” and get to know the verbiage very well. If you have questions contact a legal aide or a lawyer to let you know your rights as a Farm Animal Enterprise. Keep in mind this Act is a Federal Act and overrides state and local laws.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h109-4239

Cross Creek I agree with you 100% the Representatives needs to be more aware of the real problems in this country than me having my chickens. There is more violance and killings of humans in this country over drugs and child melesters than there is raising and fighting chickens. Most cockfighters are down to earth common everyday tax paying citicins who vote them in office in hopes to keep their heritage alive insted of putting them in jail and release a drug dealer or child melester back onto the streets so they can harm another human. Now tell me what is worse.

i agree with cross creek