What the absolute fuck??? Torturing bears is legal in South Carolina

[cali]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting

Take Action: Outlaw Bear Baiting in South Carolina! Please Sign The Petition

"Defenseless bears have no rights and are attacked for the cruel pleasure of spectators. Bear baiting needs to be stopped. We ask that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley outlaw and criminalize bear baiting in the state to put an end to this practice."

http://www.care2.com/news/member/412766260/3530952

A black bear cowers in the corner of a pen in rural South Carolina. She is tethered to a stake, surrounded by hundreds of onlookers.

She is foaming at the mouth and popping her jaws, behavior that means she is terrified. Her captors have cut or removed her claws and many of her teeth, leaving her defenseless.

Three hounds run at the bear from one end of the arena, barking furiously. Some of them bite her face and legs. Others jump on her. She backs up on her hind legs, trying vainly to shield her face. The assault continues for four hours, as nearly 300 dogs attack her in quick succession.

This spectacle is a bear baiting competition, called a "bear bay" by participants, and is practiced only in South Carolina. It is similar to the archaic blood sport of bear baiting.

<snip>

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2010/08/bear_baiting_082310.html

[Cleita]

1. In Idaho too. It's a very cruel sport. n/t

[cali]

2. No, it's not. It's legal to put out bait for hunting black bears in Idaho

and awful as that is, it's not remotely the same thing as what is legal in SC.

[Cleita]

6. How little you know. They send packs of vicious dogs out to tree them and when

the can't run away they take their time shooting them until the bear falls out of the tree often still alive. It's not great for the dogs either who are often wounded or killed by the bear.

[cali]

9. I just read the regs from Idaho. How little YOU know. that's for sure.

In SC they put a bear in a cage after having pulled its teeth and claws and set packs of dogs on the bear. Get the difference? sheesh.

[Cleita]

14. Bull shit I was there. If they changed stuff in the last ten years then kudos to them

but they did this back when I was a campground host there. I don't see anywhere on the regs that this has changed. I guess it's okay to be this cruel to an animal because they don't pull out their teeth? It's all awful.

[cali]

15. oh for fuck's sake. grab a clue. we're talking about two entirely different issues here

one is what happens in SC which is the old practice of tormenting a bear for amusement- usually with dogs. The other is to put out bait for bears in hunting. I find the latter reprehensible and it's against the law here in Vermont, but it is NOT THE SAME THING.

The ONLY state where the archaic "amusement" known as bear-baiting is legal is South Carolina. Period. duh.

[Cleita]

16. Oh so the bear isn't any less tormented for amusement because it isn't as extreme?

I mean when is the last time anyone ate bear meat or made a rug out of one?

[cali]

17. what part of pulls out the teeth and claws and then sets packs of dogs

on the creature, don't you understand. Seriously, you were wrong. you were thinking of a different practice. No big deal but why keep blustering when you were wrong?

[Cleita]

19. Cruelty is cruelty no matter the degree.

What they do to the animals in the state you are referencing is awful, but it's no less awful even in a lesser degree. I would ban bear hunting altogether in all states if it were up to me. There is no justification for it. This is actually a larger animal cruelty we shouldn't tolerate in any state.

[cali]

20. of course it is. and yes what they allow in South Carolina is worse by many degrees

than that which you repeatedly claimed was the same practice in Idaho.

[pipoman]

33. Glad it isn't up to you..

I trust the scientists who determine, based on facts, how many animals should be culled for the betterment of the populations and sustainability of populations..

[Recursion]

57. I don't know. Hunting is orders of magnitude less cruel than factory farming.

[pipoman]

32. Uh...what do you suppose bear hunters

do with the meat and hides of bears? The eat at least parts of the bear and they taxidermy or sell the hide...that's why they hunt bears...So to answer your second question, today...without a doubt..

[LeftishBrit]

3. Truly shocking.

I just signed; they seem to take international signatures.

[cali]

4. thanks, LB!

[RKP5637]

5. WHAT THE FUCK!!! Damn humans can be wretched creatures. n/t

[cali]

8. shocked the hell out of me to read the Humane Society report

they pull the teeth and claws out of the bear so it can't defend itself. I'd like to see all those people engaged in this..... oh never mind.

[freshwest]

39. The people who do this and watch it are all psychopaths who belong in jail, IMO. So sue me.

[Skittles]

7. cowards gotta do what they gotta do

[RebelOne]

10. Totally disgusting, Those are my only words for this awful practice of cruelty. n/t

[treestar]

11. wow that's disgusting

What do these sort of humans even get out of it?

[cali]

13. How is this legal???

[LeftofObama]

12. I couldn't sign the petition because I don't have a facebook account.

I called my sister and a couple of friends and they are going to sign. This practice is disgusting!

[amerikat]

18. signed.

That is disgusting.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. So SC is like 1600's London but without the good theater?

Damn.

[SummerSnow]

22. Disgraceful

[Doremus]

23. OMFG. I am continually shocked at the extreme perversion of some human beings.

The thought of this atrocity makes me physically ill.

The poor, poor bears.

[Marie Marie]

47. Ditto Doremus

Sickening to the core.

[rdharma]

24. This is even illegal in Pakistan........

.... but evidently not in "dueling banjo land"!

Civilized folks gave this up after the middle ages. And I will not say anything else because it would be considered "regional bashing"!

[Deep13]

28. Actually it continued as a noble entertainment...

...well into the early modern period.

[rdharma]

30. Britain abolished bear baiting a few years after they abolished slavery. nt

[Deep13]

48. 18th century? nt

[rdharma]

52. 1835 nt

[Deep13]

54. Wow, forget early modern, not until actual modern times. nt

[Triana]

25. Shared. How heartbreaking!

[jpak]

26. Ba'r baiting, cock and dog fightin' and good old fashion racism.

That's what it's all about - good 'ol boy red neck "culture".

Nikki won't ban it - thems her "base".

yup

[GiveMeFreedom]

34. My first post to you was self deleted because

it added nothing to the op, just to your post. It was snarky and stupid after I read it again, disrespectful I believed. Now on to your post and the op, I agree, cultural habits are left intact so as not to disenfranchise possible voters. Peace.

My snark? You left out moonshine on your list, but with more of a southern accent in the type. Boring.

[Deep13]

27. At least in a cock fight each rooster has a 50/50 chance.

Pretty disgusting and even more disgusting that people find it entertaining.

Still, we regularly torture human prisoners and allow people to suffer without needed medical attention.

[one_voice]

29. Fucking awful!!

Humans, the only species that kills for fun.

[TheMadMonk]

38. Not true. Dolphins practice a lot of the same perversions as man.

With rape and thrill killing topping the list.

[one_voice]

41. Now that you mention it...

I think I remember watching something about Dolphins being very violent..it's been years ago though, so I'll take your word on it.

[Recursion]

55. Sadly, no: dolphins, chimps, most great cats

Unfortunately it seems to come with being an apex predator

[wtmusic]

35. Apparently under the loophole of "training of animals" this is indeed legal.

"47-1-40. Ill-treatment of animals generally.
(A) Whoever knowingly or intentionally overloads, overdrives, overworks, ill- treats any animal, deprives any animal of necessary sustenance or shelter, inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal, or by omission or commission knowingly or intentionally causes these things to be done, for every offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment not exceeding sixty days or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or both, for a first offense; by imprisonment not exceeding ninety days or by a fine not exceeding eight hundred dollars, or both, for a second offense; or by imprisonment not exceeding two years or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, or both, for a third or subsequent offense. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a first offense under this subsection shall be tried in magistrate's or municipal court.

(B) Whoever tortures, torments, needlessly mutilates, cruelly kills, or inflicts excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering upon any animal or by omission or commission causes the acts to be done for any of the offenses is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be punished by imprisonment of not less than one hundred eighty days and not to exceed five years and by a fine of five thousand dollars.

(C) This section does not apply to fowl, accepted animal husbandry practices of farm operations and the training of animals, the practice of veterinary medicine, agricultural practices, forestry and silvacultural practices, wildlife management practices, or activity authorized by Title 50."


http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/sc_cruel.htm

Exceptions through which you could drive a truck.

[Beaverhausen]

46. Training? Who/what is being trained?

No, this must be stopped.

[Recursion]

56. The dogs

The alleged purpose of these horrors is to train the dogs to bay a bear. However, there are much more effective ways to do that that don't involve tormenting an actual captive bear over and over again.

[Swede Atlanta]

36. I can't even read the entire story...

Mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging stupid animals torture another animal. Why? Because they can. It is because their masculinity has been challenged when their women laugh at their "you know whats", etc.

Why do we choose to torture other animals? I would never torture one. This is because they are so challenged about themselves they think if they "put it to it" with the bear their dick gets bigger. It doesn't. It is still 4" hard....

[mtasselin]

37. asshole's

This is the 21st century, it is easy to see who the real animals, can't someone or organization stops this brutality.

[Omaha Steve]

40. Signed

K&R!

[geek tragedy]

42. Better yet, honor South Carolina's declaration of secession. nt

[freshwest]

43. This needs to go viral. I remember seeing William Hogarth's horrific engravings in school:

The Four Stages of Cruelty

Four Stages of Cruelty is a series of four printed engravings published by English artist William Hogarth in 1751. Each print depicts a different stage in the life of the fictional Tom Nero.

Beginning with the torture of a dog as a child in the First stage of cruelty, Nero progresses to beating his horse as a man in the Second stage of cruelty, and then to robbery, seduction, and murder in Cruelty in perfection.

Finally, in The reward of cruelty, he receives what Hogarth warns is the inevitable fate of those who start down the path Nero has followed: his body is taken from the gallows after his execution as a murderer and is mutilated by surgeons in the anatomical theater.

The prints were intended as a form of moral instruction; Hogarth was dismayed by the routine acts of cruelty he witnessed on the streets of London. Issued on cheap paper, the prints were destined for the lower classes.

The series shows a roughness of execution and a brutality that is untempered by the humorous touches common in Hogarth's other works, but which he felt was necessary to impress his message on the intended audience. Nevertheless, the pictures still carry the wealth of detail and subtle references that are characteristic of Hogarth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Stages_of_Cruelty

I've seen and had to deal with both intense human and animal cruelty. There is no excuse for this going on. If Governor Haley doesn't act, she is no better than Representative King who supports dog and cock fighting in his state, IIRC.

There is something to be said for being a bleeding heart liberal. I'll take one of them, or a Catholic priest who blesses animals, any day of the week over these atrocious persons.

[steve2470]

44. signed petition nt

[mitchtv]

45. disgusting

not suprising however

[freshwest]

49. K & R for visibility.

[defacto7]

50. Horrific.

Black bears are relatively gentle creatures. I can't imagine humans in the 21st century doing such things to any creature. I have strong opinions concerning the source of such behavior but I won't go there.

[Newest Reality]

51. Torture

in some way or form, is the nature of your reality, like it or not.

Do what you can to understand the nature of torture and its various nuances. Why discriminate?

We all are tortured, as life forms, along the way. The key is to carefully consider the vast array of suffering and torture in all its forms and consider, carefully, your place in that reality and how you can bring compassion to that fact.

[cali]

58. oh for fuck's sake. sophomoric palaver.

[wtmusic]

59. I like the way you brought compassion to that smackdown. nt

[cali]

60. well, I didn't like the way the poster displayed no compassion.

and just why was compassion called for in this context?

[FSogol]

61. No compassion and a Buddha avatar?

[veganlush]

53. pigs and cattle, chickrns, etc...

Are tortured by the millions each year for your food unless youre a vegan. Factory farms are systematic, intitutionalized torture chambers. What they do to the bears is evil, and should end, but get your head out of the sand, people, if you havent yet, about what you are paying people to do to innocent creatures in factory farms.