A state legislator in Michigan is proposing that the State enact an Animal Abuser registry modeled after other states Sex Offender Registry system.
Legislator from Detroit introduces bill to create an animal abuser registry | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
In Wayne County alone, the Humane Society investigated over 5,000 cases of animal abuse in 2011. No other state has this although similar legislation has been introduced in at least five states.
Is this an idea whose time has come?
A state legislator in Michigan is proposing that the State enact an Animal Abuser registry modeled after other states Sex Offender Registry system.
If it is modeled after the sex offender registry, it is bound to be riddled with the same logical quandaries, and real issues the list has now - from the ease of getting onto it, to the philosophical/moral issues associated with labeling people after they've committed a crime and paid their debt to society. IMO, if we allow ourselves to snap to an idea on an emotional note, and ignore the real questions surrounding the idea being supported emotionally, we're bound to make some grave errors - and do more harm than good.
I do not see how this can better society.
How will this awareness do any good? If there is a "convicted animal rights abuser" in the neighborhood, will it make you keep a better eye on your pets? Will there be restrictions on where they live? "No closer than 500ft from a pet store"?
Good question.
Anyone attempting to buy an animal from a breeder, store or adopt one from a shelter would have to go through a quick search of the data base to make sure they were not on it. If they were on it, they would be denied the opportunity to obtain another animal.
They would not be barred from going into or near a pet store.
Good question.
Anyone attempting to buy an animal from a breeder, store or adopt one from a shelter would have to go through a quick search of the data base to make sure they were not on it. If they were on it, they would be denied the opportunity to obtain another animal.
They would not be barred from going into or near a pet store.
A little overboard in my opinion, not everything that qualifies as animal abuse is as heinous as it sounds, such as hunting animals for their meat or fur, etc.. Plus, the PETA folks are known to be moonbats, why give them specific names to target?
So, to admittedly construct a straw man.....
Would you make a registry for DUI offenders to keep them from buying a car?
Also, how would you prevent private sales? Would you require every person to check the registry when he gives away the family of cats he discovers under his barn?
Anyone attempting to buy an animal from a breeder, store or adopt one from a shelter would have to go through a quick search of the data base to make sure they were not on it. If they were on it, they would be denied the opportunity to obtain another animal.
So, to admittedly construct a straw man.....
Why?
People make mistakes, people also change. One could be in a situation that s/he wants to make it up to the animals and you want to refuse that? For example, I as a child hunted sparrows with :catapult: . Now I've realized my mistake and don't do it anymore. Instead I feed them as soon as have a chance. What now?
Good question.
Anyone attempting to buy an animal from a breeder, store or adopt one from a shelter would have to go through a quick search of the data base to make sure they were not on it. If they were on it, they would be denied the opportunity to obtain another animal.
They would not be barred from going into or near a pet store.
How do you make it up to those sparrows you killed?
No.
What's next, an index of habitual speeders? Seatbelt scofflaws?
We've arguably abused the sex offender registry already.
When you are convicted of a traffic violation, the court notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). DMV does the following:
- Posts the conviction to your driving record
- Assigns demerit points to you according to the severity of the offense
- Issues an order of suspension, if applicable
- Issues an order requiring the successful completion of a driver improvement clinic, if applicable
- Notifies your insurance company upon request
[Length of time stays on your record]
Habitual Offenders
- Driving after being declared a habitual offender (11 years)
- Allowing a person to drive when suspended for habitual offender and/or driving while intoxicated (3 years)
It would not impact private backyard type sales. The law can only do so much. This is a positive step in the right direction. Please do not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
But, IMO, that still runs into an issue of duration [after all, if somebody offended once, and didn't for 10, 20, 30, 40 yrs, why should they be treated the same?] - and whether or not it would be better served as part of their sentence.
The thing these lists, the ideas of proverbial scarlet letters misses is that behavior is not a constant, in that people change over time for better or worse - and to perpetually treat them like they'll always do something - as opposed to always living with the fact that they DID something - with things like this just inherently feels wrong. I do make the distinction between things like the Sex offender's registry, this idea, and thigns like sentencing repeat offenders in a court of law, of course.
Much in the same way of private gun sales and background checks and waiting limits...
As for the straw man.... The DUI reference.
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