in Eden, NC
**please cross post**
from http://www.dogpolitics.com
MINORITY REPORT - NC Police Chief Wants Dog Owners Photographed & Kept In Registry Like Sex Offenders
Eeeny, meenie, miney, mo - how many civil rights can be violated right in a row? Well, in Eden, North Carolina, as many as you like, and the Police Chief Benthin & Mayor Grogan say the plan is a go.
PreCrime Unit In Eden
In a plan that would treat dog owners like sex offenders, Police Chief Gary Benthin has proposed a city ordinance that would require photos and a record of the owner’s name, address, race, sex, date of birth and place of employment, as well as a $50 registration fee.
This genius plan, reported in the Greensboro News Record applies to pitbull owners, of course. If you own a Dachshund, you can breathe a sigh of relief - for now.
That's because, as we all know, all pitbull owners are gang-banging, crack-smoking, drug-dealing baby-killers who will steal you blind, rip off old ladies and watch kiddie porn. And how do we know this?
All Pitbull Owners Are Criminals
Well, silly - just ask Police Chief Gary Benthin - because anyone who would own a pitbull is a criminal. And how do we know this??? Why the just by the very fact that these people own a pitbull, stooopid.
Chief Benthin also has plans to hire a psychic to splash around in special pool of water, so once all those pitbull owning citizens have been photographed, fingerprinted, and registered in their nifty little database, will use her amazing powers to forsee future events to let Chief Benthin know when one of them plans to rob the liquor store.
Hate Crime Unit
Now let me give the Denver DA's office a little plug here, because they deserve it - especially since Chief Benthin specifically mentions Denver's breed ban ordinance as his inspiration.
Denver DA Kory Nelson - aka Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy , pictured on the right, was quoted last year saying that "Anyone who shoots a pitbull is justified", has a simple equation that he shares with anyone who will listen in his super secret, members-only Yahoo Group just for municipal officials, according to tipsters. It's a simple equation, really.
Pitbull Owner = Criminal. Criminal = Pitbull Owner.
But apparently pitbull owners are not just any ole' criminals. Pitbull owners are soooo evil, so devious, so prone to crime that they warrant being photographed & kept in a special registry so that the City of Eden can keep them surveillance.
Now surveillance of pit bull owners seems like new twist on the same old Kory Nelson breed ban-mania, and just maybe Kory's fed the the city leaders in Eden some talking points, too, like "We're not trying to prohibit pitbull ownership, we're trying to promote responsible pitbull ownership".
Law Enforcement Is A Waste Of Time
According to the published report, "Benthin said Eden police receive calls almost daily about pit bulls killing pets, running loose and intimidating people, including police officers. "Pit bulls are driving us crazy," he said".
I see that Chief Benthin kinda has a point. Now if pitbulls are running loose and killing pets, enforcing that dangerous dog law down in Eden just might chew up a morning and maybe take away valuable donut-eating time, so I can see how pitbulls are driving him crazy.
Besides - law enforcement might actually require that law enforcement officers do something! Maybe they're too busy with other things, like parking tickets, which produces revenue. Now there's no revenue in dog laws so why waste all that time enforcing the law?
Punish The Guilty BEFORE Any Crime Is Committed
Keeping all pitbull owners under surveillance is a handy way not just to PREVENT crime, but the City of Eden is saving the taxpayers time and money, too - so by skipping right over that expensive and tedious trio of arrest, trial and conviction, the City of Eden can actually punish the guilty BEFORE any crime is committed.
And by punishing those obviously guilty pitbull owning criminals in advance, that will take care of anyone else thinking of moving into town with a pitbull. How handy is that!
PreLaw Unit - Public Hearing Not Required
The you gotta give the City of Eden big snaps for once again eliminating the headache and expense of holding a public hearing on the matter.
So why not handle local legislation in the very same way as a PreCrime Unit? Just do away with the public hearing. That's because all those citizens might actually show up to express their outrage, and who needs that - because as every local official sure knows that citizens just get in the way.
According to local North Carolina blog, Monday Night Live, "Once Eden's pitbull ordinace draft is written, it could be placed on the council's consent agenda or set aside for an independent discussion and vote, and City Attorney Tom Medlin says a public hearing is not required.
Separating Fact From Fiction
The North Carolina Responsible Pet Owners Alliance (NCRPOA), the state's leading voice for animal welfare, has issued an alert to animal owners throught the state about the "plan" in Eden.
The NCRPOA is a strong opponent of breed specific measures and plans to organize local dog owners in opposition in Eden. Dog owners can download the NCRPOA flyers about breed specific legislation by CLICKING HERE.
Perhaps city leaders should also make use of the flyers since it seems like Mayor Grogan & Chief Benthin need help to separate fact from fiction.
Minority Report
Maybe these folks down in Eden, North Carolina have been watching too many Tom Cruise movies, but last time I checked, we still had a Constitution here in these here United States - and it covers all the states, including North Carolina.
Last time I checked, Chief Benthin and Mayor Grogan, responsible dog ownership did not come with a price tag of police surveillance, getting photographed and forced into a database registry like a sex offender.
So here's my own Minority Report :
I'd like to report a pre crime by Police Chief Benthin and Mayor Grogan of Eden, NC who have illegally deprived innocent citizens of their civil rights against illegal search and seizure
I'd like to report a pre crime by Police Chief Benthin and Mayor Grogan of Eden, NC who have illegally deprived innocent citizens of the right to privacy
I'd like to report a pre crime by Police Chief Benthin and Mayor Grogan of Eden, NC who have conspired to strip Eden citizens of their rights to due process under the law
Call For Justice
Here's my own personal call for justice. Feel free to join in and dial up your favorite law enforcement agency (just don't call the one in Eden, North Carolina) and demand justice for innocent dog owners.
I'm calling for an investigation by the State Attorney General's office in North Carolina to find out why Eden's Chief of Police and Mayor, would readily strip citizens of their civil rights. In fact - call up AG's press office- that usually gets them going: NC State Attorney General at 919-716-6413
I'm calling for an investigation by the FBI to see if Kory Nelson has conspired with police in states outside his own jurisdiction to create policies to illegally monitor the activities of innocent citizens. Call the FBI at 202-324-3000
I'm calling for an investigation by the Department of Justice into the practices by Denver DA Kory Nelson secret online evil vortex and to see if he is conspiring with police and municipal leaders around to the country to strip citizens of their civil rights by forcing dog owners into database registries to keep tabs on innocent citizens who happen to own pitbulls or Rottweilers or other so-called "dangerous breeds" . Call the Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555
I'd invite you to contact the ACLU
I'd invite you to contact the NAACP
I'd invite you to contact your state and congressional representives to let them know that we, as American citizens, are entitled to the full protection of the laws of the United States Of America.
That is, unless you own a pitbull.