Gamefowl and Cockfighting

We are only a few days away from the unveiling of the new Gamefowl Cyber Show. This show, sponsored by gamefowlfacts.org, with the support of The American Gamefowl Society, in my opinion will prove to be one of the greatest recent advances in the preservation of our fowl, and our heritage.

Of course, this advance, like many others will be chastised by some, and embraced by others. It is my hope that the naysayers will be few, as this progressive effort will prove to be a giant leap in the right direction for us, provided it receives adequate participation and support.

There are many die-hard cockers who will be resistant to bringing their fowl into the show ring, as this competition is not the type they are accustomed to. I have empathy toward this viewpoint, and hope that today I will help to explain to many the way that this show will benefit us as a group, and benefit you as an individual.

Of course, this show will not help us to regain the legal right to use our fowl for fighting purposes. What it will do, is preserve your right to own your fowl. Many former cockfighters, who were discouraged by the laws passed with the intent to endanger our culture, and our pursuit of happiness, have chosen to continue the breeding of their fowl, if for no other reason than the love of the breed. In many states, however, mere possession of these noble birds could potentially lead to legal woes.

Some examples of such problems include:

• A Bronx man who was arrested for owning cocks who were dubbed and medications for his fowl.
• Three Florida breeders who were arrested for merely possessing gamefowl.
• A Lake County, Indiana man who was arrested for possessing gamefowl and a small fighting ring on his property. Note that no mention is made of evidence indicating that the ring had been used in recent times.
• Tennessee law makes it illegal to own gamefowl for the purpose of fighting.
• Florida law makes it illegal to raise or sell game fowl for the purpose of fighting.
• The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act of 2007 makes it illegal to transport fowl across state lines for fighting purposes.

Of course some may argue that it is impossible to prove your intent to do anything, fighting your fowl included. If you believe such is the truth, I am sad to say that your mind is still living in days long gone when we were innocent until proven guilty. Meanwhile your body, and law enforcement, resides in the America of today, where we are guilty until proven innocent.

The possibility is there, that you may manage to beat these fabricated charges and find your way to acquittal, but at the very least you will still have been dishonored and will have spent many dollars in your legal defense.

Our only way of proving that our fowl are for any purpose other than fighting is to have proof that you use your fowl for show purposes. You may have eggs in your refrigerator, but how will you prove that these came from your game fowl, rather than the neighborhood grocery? You may have receipts showing the sale of your fowl, but how will you prove that they were sold for non-fighting purposes? Especially if you sold your fowl for a higher price than would normally be paid for egg producing chickens. You could make the statement that they were sold for showing purposes, but customers do not pay premium prices for unproven show stock. You need to prove the ability of your fowl to win poultry shows in order to command the highest of prices for their sale.

In entering this cyber show, or any other poultry show, for that matter, you will receive a certificate of participation. Once you have received several of these certificates, you will have proof that your fowl are used in the show ring. This may serve to eliminate any doubts about your intent. It is commonly known that those who participate regularly in bird shows will frequently have a larger number of males than females on hand, due to the fact that the male of the species carries much more attractive plumage. Presentation of your certificates to an investigating officer will certainly be much easier, and less expensive than fighting a fabricated charge in court. Additionally, once you have used your certificates to send an officer on his way, any further interrogation by the same law enforcement agency, without new evidence will clearly be in the spirit of harassment.

Of course some will imply that this show is nothing more than a money-making effort on behalf of the webmaster. This cannot be farther from the truth, as the site only retains 25% of the funds generated by this show. After paypal fees are deducted, this will translate to about seventy cents per entry. It will require a great many of those seventy cent entries just to recuperate the monthly expenses involved with maintenance of the website. Another 25% of the funds will be donated to the gamefowl related organization of the winner’s choice, with the remaining half of the funds going to the winner.

We will always be a target of such animal rights extremists as PETA and the HSUS, and that cannot be changed. Show participation, will not make them suddenly gain the ability to reason, or help them to get their priorities in the proper order. It will, however, reduce their ammunition to use against us, as we will have positive proof of our intent.

In summary, for an investment of $3.00 per entry, you will:

• Prove the beauty and conformation of your fowl.
• Satisfy the competitive spirit within you that has been deprived since the passing of these Un-American laws.
• Potentially increase the market value of your breeding stock, as the prodigy of show winners undoubtedly have a higher value.
• Potentially win a cash prize worth many times your investment.
• Potentially win some nice ribbons to add to your trophy room.
• Most importantly, you will undoubtedly receive proof that your fowl are, indeed, for show purposes.

I extend my gratitude to the all who have assisted in this giant leap in the right direction for us. I would like to give special thanks to J.D. McCoy (founder of gamefowlfacts.org) and Anthony Saville (founder of AGFS). Finally, I would like to thank, in advance, all of those who will submit entries to this show, as it will require participation to keep this dream alive.

These are my thoughts, and I am Darren U. Talissen

Now get away from the computer, take some photos, and show us how beautiful your fowl are.

Be as game as your roosters, and keep fighting the good fight.