Originally posted by Chairboy
I'm increasingly of the opinion that we as a people seem to be almost falling over ourselves trying to abrogate the basic tasks of the individual away to the government.
If there's a snake on your property that you don't want, take care of it yourself.
If there's a possibly rabid animal that could threaten children, you should be able to grab a shovel or whatnot and fix it yourself.
We're being trained that we as individuals are less competent than the "they" in the phrase "they should do something about that".
But.......here is the scenario played the other way around. He see's an obviously sick animal that may be a threat to children. He walks over with a shovel and brains the animal before anything can happen.
One of the children runs home to tell their parents that this strange man is killing something in the playground.
The cops arrive to interrogate him about why he was killing it and cite him for various minor charges.
Animal control shows up (at the behest of the police) to cite him for animal cruelty because he killed it without cause (he can't prove it had rabies) and because he used a shovel.
The Game Commision comes to cite him for hunting groundhog out of season, without an approved weapon, and in a public place.
The local media shows up, courtesy of the parents, to broadcast the story of a deranged man killing small animals in a park full of kids next to a church in an obvious satanic ritual.
PETA shows up to picket his house and rant about how this poor little fuzzy animal is a herbavour that has never done anyone any harm and how bad this man is.
He'll loose his job, a large amount of money, his chance at a hunting license, any public respect he had.....and all becuase he chose to do something. Other alternative is to look over, go "gee.....not my problem" and go right back to work.
Thats what society expects of us:(
I'd have asked that person at Animal Control their name, and supervisor's name. Then I'd have informed them that I'll be watching patiently to see which child gets bitten first so that I can inform the parents of exactly who the government official was that refused to take action to protect their child from an obvious threat. Let AC pay for the rabies shots, among other things, from out of the lawsuit!
