It’s been a minute since my last blog, but between work, packing to move, and coming down with this flu that’s going around, I haven’t had time. What I heard yesterday just got me too riled up to not vent. The House of Representatives voted tuesday to approve the Captive Primate Safety Act (HR 80), with 323 lawmakers in favor and 95 opposed. The bill would make it illegal to transport chimpanzees and other primates across state lines for individuals to use as pets. OH MY GOD!!! It’s only been about a week or so since the unfortunate accident of a Charla Nash with the chimp in Connecticut and already they have a bill on the floor, yet nothing has been done to make it illegal for banks to hand out tax payer dollars for bonus’s to CEO’s or legislation in the handout where they need to disclose how and where the money is going, etc. It’s been six months since the banks received free handouts with no strings attached, and no matter how outraged we the people and the media voice, still nothing is being done. Yes, there is a lot of talking, some scolding, a slap on the hand here and there and these stupid hearings that do nothing but put on a show to the world as if they are doing something. No real legislation is being executed or implemented, but the monkey thing gets immediate attention. Give me a break.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a democrat from Oregon whose co-sponsoring the bill, responding to his colleagues’ questions about the importance of the discussion said ‘… the woman who is in the hospital in Cleveland, who had her face ripped off by a chimpanzee last week would probably think she and her family might be important to deal with…. It’s not the most important issue of the world, maybe not, until tragedy strikes your family.’ Ok, we get it, it’s a tragedy. If that’s the case, let’s make alcohol illegal. Over 10,000 people die annually from drunk driving accidents, that’s pretty tragic to a family. The bill does nothing to prohibit owning a monkey, only crossing state lines with one. It’s a waste of taxpayer money for these politicians to be squandering time on this kind of *hit. Excuse my french, but THIS IS NOT THE TIME!!!! We are in too dire of a situation for there not to be full and total attention on how to revive the economy, fix our banking system, legislate for fair loaning practices, and figure out what to do with Iraq and Afghanistan. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said that the illegality of an attack would only be valid if ‘… the monkey was willing to chase the woman from Connecticut over to New York State.’
People are living in camp sites all over the country, under cloth tents, because they lost their homes. They are vulnerable to bigger and scarier animals at this point. What’s next? Legislation to make it illegal for lions and tigers and bears to come out the woodworks and prey on humans. UUUGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!
