Sample Letter to the Editor about Cockfighting

[Name of Editor]
[Name of Publication]
[Address]
[City, State, Zip]

Re: Cockfighting

Dear [Mr./Ms. Last Name]:

[If you are responding to an article that has run in the publication, cite the article's title and date. Please note that the purpose of this letter is to enhance public awareness of the evils of cockfighting in general, not to make accusations against individuals or organizations or to comment on particular events. (If you have information to support specific accusations, you should contact local law enforcement agencies rather than the media.) Keep your letter general in nature, using the following text as an example.]

It is inexcusable that some people view the animal suffering involved in staged cockfights as a form of entertainment or a way to make a profit. This barbaric blood sport is prohibited in every state, and federal law makes the interstate transport or export of animals for fighting purposes a felony.

Cockfighting promoters often say that they are simply allowing the birds to do what they do naturally, but this claim is absurd. While it is true that birds will fight over food, territory or mates, such fights generally take place only to establish dominance within a group and seldom result in serious injury. This natural behavior is quite different from what takes place in staged cockfights, in which pairs of birds—bred for maximum aggressiveness and sometimes given steroids or other drugs to enhance the bloodshed—are placed in an enclosure where they are forced to fight, with no opportunity for escape. The birds are usually fitted with artificial spurs called gaffs or slashers, sharp implements designed to puncture and mutilate. A cockfight often results in the death of one or both of the birds.

Aside from the animal suffering involved, this so-called sport has several other disturbing aspects, which have been revealed by law enforcement raids. Gambling is the norm at cockfighting events. Thousands of dollars can change hands as spectators bet on their favorite birds. The owner of the bird winning the most fights in an event can receive a purse of up to tens of thousands of dollars in presumably undeclared income. Because large amounts of cash are present, firearms and other weapons are common at cockfights. Violent crimes, even homicides, have been connected to cockfighting in recent years. Furthermore, law enforcement officials have documented the strong connection between cockfighting and the distribution of illegal drugs.

The presence of young children at cockfights is especially disturbing. Exposure to such brutality can promote insensitivity to animal suffering and an enthusiasm for violence. Anthropologist Margaret Mead suggested that acts of cruelty to animals committed in childhood may signify the development of an impulsive, assaultive character disorder. Psychiatrists at the Menninger Foundation revealed that a history of cruelty to animals can be symptomatic of seriously abnormal aggression and that such aggression is significantly associated with aggressive behavior directed against other humans. Animal fighting is a vicious and brutal activity that can breed violence.

While it is true that cockfighting has been practiced for centuries in various countries, including the United States, "old" does not necessarily mean right or even acceptable. At one time the United States allowed slavery, lacked child abuse laws and refused women the vote.

Cockfighting is now illegal in every state and is a felony in many of them. We should encourage and support local animal care and control agencies and law enforcement officials as they work to stem this brutal and shameful activity, and we should urge our prosecutors and judges to take cockfighting seriously when it comes time to prosecute.

Sincerely,
[Your Signature]

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your City, State, Zip]
[Your Phone Number]

[Note: Some publications require your address and phone number before they publish a letter to the editor, but you may request that this information be withheld.]

Related Links

Cockfighting

Cockfighting Fact Sheet

Ranking of State Cockfighting Laws

State Cockfighting Laws