Emotion and Logic at Odds in California Legislature
By Glen Wunderlich
Daniel Richards, president of California’s Fish and Game Commission, is often at odds with animal-activist groups over his support of hunting as a viable means to manage wildlife. A recent hunting trip resulted in a total of 40 Democrat state Assembly members demanding that he resign. His crime? Legally killing a mountain lion in Idaho.
That’s right. You see, it’s illegal to kill mountain lions in California. But, he was hunting legally in Idaho. Doesn’t matter! At least not to those with a clear agenda in stark contrast to that of Mr. Richards.
But, with 40 of the 80 members of the Assembly calling for Richards’ neck, he could be dismissed with a simple majority vote. And, in the state Senate, Democrats hold 25 of the 40 seats. To fuel the fire the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) president and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, chimed in. “It’s not illegal. But he’s thumbed his nose at the people of California. He’s supposed to be representing the interests of all California citizens. It seems like such a tone-deaf action. What part of ‘no’ doesn’t he understand?”
So, why should anyone pay any attention to the biggest anti-hunting group in the world? After all, this is a California issue. But, what some people fail to understand is that a bit over two years ago, HSUS donated $5000 to its Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Wardens to help feed its canine program. Since then, HSUS is now training DFG law enforcement officers and are working under authority of the DFG. So, they clearly have a dog in this hunt.
California’s Republicans support Richards and one of them had this to say, “Demanding his resignation over something the liberal elite see as distasteful is merely pandering. If we applied that logic across the board, Californians caught gambling in Nevada or driving 85 mph in Texas should be forced to resign their position too.”
“Hunters and anglers, who actually spend time outdoors, are those most invested in ensuring that California manages wildlife responsibly, and Dan Richards certainly fits that description,” added Senator Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale). “Once again, some Californian legislators are revealing their elitist attitude by trying to impose our laws on other states. Perhaps those calling for his resignation could be more informed about how a federalized system of government works.”
“This is a clear attempt by anti-hunting organizations to use the fact that Mr. Richards is a hunter to have him fired,” said Walter “Bud” Pidgeon, Jr., U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president and CEO. “There is nothing illegal or unethical about hunting mountain lions or any other game animal simply because one state allows it and another does not. They are simply trying to use any excuse possible to remove hunters from the Fish and Game Commission.
It will be interesting to learn if emotion trumps common sense, once again.
