I really feel for poor Billy. He deserves so much better! CW
----- Original Message ----- From: "frankg" <[email protected]> To: "PoliticalForum" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 01:22 Subject: Re: Pachymonium! 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. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
