posted November 11, 2006 12:51 AM
The Humane Society of the U.S. has been a leader in passing ballot initiatives in past years to ban cockfighting, steel-jawed leghold traps and other body-gripping traps, bear baiting, hound hunting, and gestation crates. Now, we have achieved two remarkable wins for animals that will affect the lives of millions of animals, and we are so grateful to the people of Arizona and Michigan for leading the way and to our supporters who make our work possible.
Michigan voters stepped up for mourning doves, crushing Proposal 3 on the ballot and restoring the 100-year tradition of protecting the state's official bird of peace from target shooting. The vote was 68 percent to 32 percent. The Humane Society of the United States spearheaded the effort to protect mourning doves, from garnering more than 1,000 endorsements to relentlessly canvassing the state in support of the issue. Michigan voters listened, and the gentle backyard songbird will remain safe from target shooters.In Arizona, humane treatment of farm animals won the day when voters cast their ballot in favor of Proposition 204, which bans gestation crates for breeding pigs and veal crates for young calves. Agribusiness and other special interests spent $2.5 million to defeat Proposition 204. It is the second state in the nation to ban gestation crates and the first state to ban veal crates. The vote was 61 percent in favor and only 39 percent opposed.
I voted no on the mourning dove proposal. I love the soothing sound of their coos in the morning and evening. I have a bunch of them in my trees and they are on the rooftops all the time here. Plus I think we as people are getting a little too violent when we want to shoot the symbol of peace and for no other reason than just something else to kill.
I did have to have the skylight removed though because it was right under the back tree where the doves roost. One day my husband fed them a whole bag of popcorn and I could have killed him. What a mess!! 
Another interesting thing about the Arizona ballot proposals. Arizona, known to be a conservative state, oddly enough defeated the proposal to ban same sex marriage. I think, if I recall correctly, it was 8 states that had that proposal on the ballot this time and Arizona was the only state that defeated it.
What is really odd about this is that when the proposal was on the ballot in Michigan during the 2004 presidential election the proposal passed here and Michigan is a liberal blue state while Arizona is a conservative red state. Strange. Or maybe not so strange since I have always believed that everyone is the same in that we may be liberal about some things, but very conservative about other things. Therefore making labels truly useless. 
Lindaland
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posted November 11, 2006 12:51 AM
