We're becoming so accustomed to "news reporters" writing opinion pieces and editors placing them on news pages, that the above headline (mine) seems bland.
I haven't read the LA Times for,well, somewhat over ten years, but some leftist at my office brings them in and leaves sections in the "reading room." Since I've recently heard from Larry Elder's show that they've actually had a few un- or less-biased stories lately, I checked it out.
I stumbled into this story in the California section from the 18th of October, this year: "Gov. ignores gun lobby, and condors get lift." George Skelton, writer of the piece, ought to be thrown out on his kiester for having written such a piece of trash--or the editor should be given a mop and told he was hired into the wrong department. Or both.
While I wish none of earth's critters ill, I honestly can't work up a huge amount of sympathy for the California condor. While they look ever so majestic soaring above, even Mr Skelton admits they're ugly when seen up close. And they are. Even the babies are ugly--I saw one once at the San Diego Zoo. They look like vultures on steroids.
Our neo-socialist, neo-conservative Guber, Arnold Schwarzeneggar (a far better action movie star than politician), has signed legislation banning the use of lead bullets for hunting, in favor of copper. Since the Times didn't cite any studies proving that lead is the thing that's causing the low condor population, I'm very skeptical. Also, I'm wondering if they just aren't suited for life in today's world. Even Mr Skelton admits that they seem prehistoric.
If California condors as a species will be saved, it'll be by the efforts of men working very hard at it--not by government edicts. The condors don't seem to care very much. Honestly, I don't either.
I'm not a hunter, being a city boy and all, and so I don't know what might be lost by replacing the lead in bullets with copper. Copper is soft (but not as soft as lead, and copper is heavy, but not as heavy as lead. I do know that government has no business legislating the content of bullets.
Our idiot Guber also signed a bill requiring that semi-automatic handguns must have their chambers stamped with the make, model and serial number of the weapon, so that each shell casing expelled will be stamped with these markings. To help police solve crimes, they say....as if the criminals actually use guns registered to themselves!
Back to new bias: throughout the story, as you can readily see by reading through it, we can readily see the writers opinion. "The gun lobby ranted...." "Schwarzeneggar would have been hammered--and justifiably--if he had vetoed these two bills." (italics mine) "He (Schwarzeneggar) was pandering...." "....22 caliber lead bullets....should be the next step."
The guy might have a point, regarding the lead poisoning of carrion eating birds, but what we need is the facts.....just the facts.
We report. We decide. You shut up, turn off your mind, and absorb.
Warm regards,
Col. Hogan
Stalag california
12 comments:
Used to be that copper jacketed bullets were illegal for hunting because they tend to go right on through thus leaving a wounded animal that could run for miles before bleeding out. Not humane and the hunter loses the prey.
As to lead poisoning? I doubt it. Be like eating marbles, the animal will poop it out right quickly.
The algorians seem to be psychotically fixated 'pon protecting all manner of critters from the evil lead. In the (conspicuous) absence of citations of proof of the evils of lead in the stories, one has to wonder about the agendae of the fixated.
Movie cowboys often mention a man getting shot as having been given a fatal dose of lead poisoning, and that might be as close to the truth as it gets.
Our generation grew up with lead based paint (very old cars still often have great paint jobs, but we've all seen the ugliness of the paint on fifteen-year-old cars with lead-free paint), lead fishing sinkers and leaded gasoline. We seem to be ok, even into "upper middle age."
I just think that the California condor is going the way of the dodo bird.
I suspect that it has to do with getting the public used to the idea of government meddling in gun laws to soften the blow before they actually try disarming them. They know as it is they'll have a mutiny on their hands (and I believe they will if they try it on later), but if they start chipping away at it first, they think they might have a better chance later. Slowly, slowly is the method.
I believe (and this is just my opinion) Arnold Schwartzenegger is no more a Conservative than Chavez, he just has more of a challenge deceiving his electorate than Chavez does.
The California Condor already went the way of the DoDo. We brought 'em back from extinction.
Sometimes i think the enviro-nazis will fight to preserve the common house fly. I mean honestly, when was the last time anyone woke up in the morning or middle of the night thinking, you know i gotta see that Condor before i die.
"I just think that the California condor is going the way of the dodo bird."
I'm thinkin' the "save the whales, save this, and save that" crowd are causing the demise of the carrion eating birds. They want to save everything and as they succeed there is less for the Condor to feed on. Sure, stuff dies, but not like it used to. The Condor is delegated to feeding on road kill & WHAMMO along comes a semi.
MK,
Those of us who live in the Stalag can remember well several cases where important and beneficial construction projects--most of them private--were halted citing the habitat of various sorts of rats, most of whom, in other contexts, would have been relegated to death by traps and poison. Ditto regarding several species of small birds, who have wings, and can easily go wherever they want (as, of course, do condors).
As far as I know--and I'm sure the Stalag's msm would've screamed more loudly than a Democrat after a tax cut--none of these critters has gone extinct.
Algorians have already banned DDT, to protect the endangered mosquito, at the expense of millions of lives in third world countries. Also, they've been, for years, fighting the use of the "deadly" malathion (which is far less dangerous than beer) to save the equally endangered Mediterranean fruit fly.
Meanwhile, with very few exceptions (cockroaches come to mind), the most successful plant and animal species are those which are under the stewardship of man.
Algorians have already banned DDT, to protect the endangered mosquito, at the expense of millions of lives in third world countries.
Humans are, for them, the least important life form on the planet. If more of us die, the closer they are to reducing the population levels to what they want.
Aurora,
I've actually heard a couple of them say that Earth would be better off without any humans at all. It leads me to wonder why they just don't off themselves, which would benefit everyone.
I've heard that too CH, thanks for that info on the Med. fruit fly, now i think i've heard it all. Man it's summer out here and the flies are having the time of their lives, irritating bastards.
Wow, Colonel, I always knew the Stalag was a little different from the rest of the world. They just don't seem to drift back to reality.
Well BC, a few of us have. Unfortunately, if some of things don't change, there's going to be a massive die-off one of these days--possibly after a big quake--because we've made all our backup systems illegal.
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