Alabama needs tougher laws to combat cockfighting

Saturday, February 07, 2009

THE ISSUE: Alabama's cockfighting law is the weakest in the country, and a bill to toughen it should get widespread support in the Legislature - and the agricultural community.

In Alabama, it's legal to attend a cockfight, own fighting roosters and have all the paraphernalia for this cruel sport. But get caught actually putting on a cockfight, and you might find yourself facing ... a misdemeanor charge and a fine of, at most, $50.

Big whoop-dee-do.

Unfortunately, that's the pathetic extent of this state's punishment for cockfighting. Not surprisingly, every other state in the union takes a harder line on these bloodfests, according to rankings released recently by the Humane Society of the United States. Also not surprisingly, Alabama has become a magnet for cockfighters - and all their affiliated enterprises.

"Cockfighters find safe haven in Alabama because the state's nominal penalties for the crime can be easily offset by gambling winnings," the Humane Society said in a news release.

State Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Union Grove, and state Rep. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, have introduced legislation to make cockfighting a felony in Alabama. Attorney General Troy King already has said he's on board for stiffening the penalty for this rotten activity.

It should have widespread support in the Legislature.

There's really nothing redeeming about these contests. Roosters with knives strapped to their legs fight to the death for the alleged entertainment of spectators. Gambling is usually a part of the fun. But what really ought to make lawmakers sit up and take notice is how cockfighting threatens public health and our state's important agricultural interests.

Cockfighting was linked to a costly outbreak of Exotic Newcastle Disease in poultry in California and the Southwest in the early part of this decade, and it has been named a culprit in the deadly and devastating spread of bird flu in Asia.

It stands to reason, really. Cockfighters carry their birds across state lines (and sometimes out of the country) to engage in a fierce, bloody battle with other birds. They (and their handlers) are at risk of being exposed to bird flu, and they could bring it home with them, putting other birds at risk. The Humane Society notes on its Web site that some U.S. cockfighters travel to the World Slasher Cup in the Philippines, which has not reported any cases of bird flu but is in the region that has been most affected by the epidemic.

This ought to be of particular interest to Alabama, where poultry is big business.

To the extent we make ourselves a cockfighting destination, we put that important industry at risk. For that reason alone, state Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks and the capital's big farm lobby should be leading the charge for stronger state laws to restrict cockfighting.

It's not just about the fate of the fighting birds, although that ought to be a consideration. It's about the fate of all our birds - and, ultimately, us, too.