Great story, CW. Thanks. Let's hope Billy makes it to that sanctuary, and lets hope the 'pols' get more than just a hand slap for this. ...idiots.
On Jan 12, 12:58 pm, Cold Water <[email protected]> wrote: > 18 Pols Arrested on Charges of Animal Cruelty > > File photo > Vote it up! > > The early morning quiet was broken by wailing police sirens and the pre-dawn > dark was sporadically interrupted by flashing squad-car lights as police > surrounded the homes. > > The incident began hours earlier when, according to a police spokesman, the > SWAT office was stampeded by angry residents and phones were swamped with > calls demanding that the entire city council, the mayor, city attorney and > zoo director be arrested for animal cruelty. > > The elephantine problems began when two elephants died due to their confined > space, which resulted in severe foot problems that are common among captive > elephants and that leads to incurable infections and death. > > The City Council decided to approve $42 million to build a 3.6-acre elephant > park for Billy and then get a couple of female companions for him to trumpet > over, even though game preserve experts say it takes four acres per elephant > to maintain them properly. > > After spending a hay-load of money, some $13 million plus, they ran out of > funds, the second of two female pachyderms died, the drumbeat began to give > Billy up to a game preserve in Northern California and the natives began to > get restless. Very restless. > > Concerned elephant supporters insist Billy is dying of loneliness and has > developed tics, such a head-bobbing, head-banging and swaying. > > Saying they’ve already spent thousands on the park, council members insist > the elephant park should be finished. The opposition says they can finish it > and provide the space to “smaller” animals like giraffes that don’t need so > much acreage per animal. > > The council is scheduled to make its final decision on Friday. > > In light of all the controversy, the LAPD took the angry calls from restless > citizen calls very seriously when officers realized how adamant people were > to take matters into their own hands. > > If police didn't take steps, angry residents would become a thundering herd, > making citizens' arrests of all the offending city officials who have > steadfastly refused to turn Billy over to a sanctuary in Northern California. > > "We've never seen anything like it," said LAPD's community relations Sgt. Leo > Lyons. > > "It was kind of weird," Lyons added. "As angry as people were over Billy > being confined in a small area in the zoo, and as much as they want to see > him moved to a sanctuary, they went about it peacefully. > > "It was a reserved version of an angry, torch-bearing crowd marching on City > Hall," he said. > > "They did the right thing by coming to us." > > Bill Feral, president of the Save Billy Club, noted that there are laws to > protect animals from abuse, and citizens were just trying to get those laws > enforced. > > "We had to do something to save Billy," Feral said. > > "There was pachymonium," said SWAT Lt. Hank Ketchem. "It was obvious that if > we didn't do something, the people who want to save Billy would become a > thundering herd and try to make their own citizens' arrests. People were > determined in their willingness to do just that if we didn't act on their > behalf." > > Upon hearing the news of the arrests, comedian/actress Lily Tomlin, who has > been quietly and politely lobbying nationwide on behalf of the pachyderm, > silently smiled while nodding her approval. > > After Hector Tovar said in his L.A. Times column that, “A zoo without > elephants would be a loss for the children of L.A.,” you could almost hear > the “Yah! Right!” sarcasm dripping from Tomlin who said such illogic has no > merit. > > Tomlin stressed that thousands of children know everything there is to know > about dinosaurs and love them dearly, yet none of them ever saw one. > > Conversely, and not surprisingly, there was the opposite reaction from > council members who were arrested. > > "We couldn't believe it," said one clueless, mystified councilman who > demanded he remain anonymous to protect his safety. "It was a humiliating > experience to be rousted in the middle of the night, handcuffed and shackled > like that. Shackled, I tell you! Just like ... like ... like some rogue > elephant. > > "This is impossible," he continued to thunder from his holding cell at the > county lockup. "They're not even that passionate when we raise their taxes > and fees when we could cut spending instead. We're the City Council. We can > do anything we want." > > Stamping his feet, swaying back and forth in abject disbelief and bobbing his > head, the unnamed councilman kept repeating, "I can't believe it. I can't > believe it." > > When last seen, he was still trumpeting his complaints while hitting his head > on the bars of his cell door. > > http://www.digitaljournal.com/print/article/265053 > > 011003elephants.jpg > 5KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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