Chicken!
Dear Readers,
The city of Takoma Park, you will be glad to know, has bravely stuck a blow for chickens’ rights. The council passed a resolution Oct. 9th “Opposing the Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens in Battery Cages.”
In the immortal words of the recently departed Anna Russell, “I’m not making this up, you know!”
The resolution was introduced by Ward Three councilmember Bruce Williams, and had unanimous support from the council and mayor, as well as the half-a-dozen citizens who commented on the resolution. Your Gilbert noted with interest how this group of animal rights activists differs from the usual middle aged, middle-spread Takoma Park activists we are used to seeing at council meetings. This group was young, clean-cut, and vegan-gaunt.
Takoma Park is home to a relatively large population of animal rights activists, Gilbert understands. So perhaps this resolution is a sop to them. Certainly there are no (legal) chicken farms in Takoma Park. The resolution has no teeth anyway. It does not ban the sale of eggs from “battery-cage” chicken farms for instance. The Mayor said she would send a (non-binding) letter to the one supermarket in Takoma Park bringing the issue to the manager’s attention. Councilmember Joy Austin-Lane suggested the same letter could be sent to the few convenience stores in town.
As toothless as it is, the resolution was praised by the citizen supporters as a milestone. Your Gilbert suspects the milestone is primarily in the activists’ resumes.
This is all well and good, being in tradition of many non-binding, feel-good council resolutions that voice the majority’s progressive/liberal principles. But, the potential for embarassement is a bit larger than usual. Your Gilbert, for instance, found it grueling to write the above paragraphs WITHOUT MAKING ONE CHICKEN PUN. Others, especially those whose stock in trade is lampooning iiberals, will not be as restrained
- Gilbert
The city of Takoma Park, you will be glad to know, has bravely stuck a blow for chickens’ rights. The council passed a resolution Oct. 9th “Opposing the Confinement of Egg-Laying Hens in Battery Cages.”
In the immortal words of the recently departed Anna Russell, “I’m not making this up, you know!”
The resolution was introduced by Ward Three councilmember Bruce Williams, and had unanimous support from the council and mayor, as well as the half-a-dozen citizens who commented on the resolution. Your Gilbert noted with interest how this group of animal rights activists differs from the usual middle aged, middle-spread Takoma Park activists we are used to seeing at council meetings. This group was young, clean-cut, and vegan-gaunt.
Takoma Park is home to a relatively large population of animal rights activists, Gilbert understands. So perhaps this resolution is a sop to them. Certainly there are no (legal) chicken farms in Takoma Park. The resolution has no teeth anyway. It does not ban the sale of eggs from “battery-cage” chicken farms for instance. The Mayor said she would send a (non-binding) letter to the one supermarket in Takoma Park bringing the issue to the manager’s attention. Councilmember Joy Austin-Lane suggested the same letter could be sent to the few convenience stores in town.
As toothless as it is, the resolution was praised by the citizen supporters as a milestone. Your Gilbert suspects the milestone is primarily in the activists’ resumes.
This is all well and good, being in tradition of many non-binding, feel-good council resolutions that voice the majority’s progressive/liberal principles. But, the potential for embarassement is a bit larger than usual. Your Gilbert, for instance, found it grueling to write the above paragraphs WITHOUT MAKING ONE CHICKEN PUN. Others, especially those whose stock in trade is lampooning iiberals, will not be as restrained
- Gilbert
posted by Gilbert at 5:08 PM
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