Cringe
So we all agree government overreach and ensuing impunity is a bad thing?
It would depend on the circumstances and what you define as “overreach” and “impunity”.
Definitely.
On one hand we have a clearly written law banning wildlife pets that was clearly broken, though I agree killing the squirrel was a little much.
On the other hand, we had a pro-golfer following normal protocol as he entered a tournament, was waved through by an on duty police officer, then confusingly had his car tackled by an off duty police officer who proceeded to erroneously levy life ruining felony charges until the media pressure was greater than the COA effort and he dropped them.
To each their own, I suppose. Maybe the unpopular opinion but tree rats don’t get me emotional enough to budge logic, personally.
You’re leaving out the armed raid on someone’s home that was signed off on by a judge to enforce the dangerous animal ordinances.
You’re also leaving out the absence of video evidence with your whole pro golfer example, your stance on which more or less boils down to choosing to believe one particular version of it.
I am also of the opinion that the agents who participated in this senseless raid on a person’s home should be covered by QI. They should not be able to be sued as private citizens and forfeit their personal assets for doing what the people of New York have recklessly tasked them with doing.
It is a bit much, I can agree. Would be curious how they define “dangerous animal”. I will say that I’m a bit skewed. Growing up in SE Texas we used to catch snakes, snapping turtles, sharks (on a line) and tap sunning alligator tails to make them jump in the water on a dare. But I’ve met people from and especially in areas like NY, LA, SF et cetera who are absolutely terrified of anything not domestic, and can believe squirrels are on a dangerous list in NYC.
The DA is on record saying that given the totality of evidence, there were no grounds for charges. It’s fun to armchair clips the media leaks, but case closed for me. I was happy he didn’t get railroaded, for the record.
Fair enough, and I wouldn’t blame the individual officers either. The systemic militarization of our police forces is the issue to tackle. Not the boots on the ground, doing their jobs. Unless/Until? we become the squirrels. (Cue the entire reason for the 2a, this is not a personal opinion).
In any case, I’m overall in agreement that overreach is a bad thing and glad to see the sentiment so broadly expressed, even if it did take rodent.
It’s not that clear. There are conditions under which they can be kept. There is a process and the agency in question should have helped the owner with the process.
It’s indefensible. You want to test the animals for rabies, but need to kill them to do it. Do they go out and randomly trap raccoons and squirrels, kill them and test them?
I don’t think they’re considered dangerous, just wild. They don’t want people messing with wildlife so to make that clear, they decided to kill some.
I see the real problem being one of private property. I have squirrels, birds, chipmunks, groundhogs, probably raccoons, possums, maybe skunks, all living on my property. If a squirrel is in my house or in my yard, what’s the difference? I have bird feeders and birdhouses on my property. Does that make them pets? If any of these animals get comfortable enough around me, as sometimes happens, and I can pet them or hand feed them, are they pets?
From what I understand, Peanut chose to live in the home. He had the option of living in the wild but he bonded with his “owner” as happens with squirrels and chose to stay close. Does that make him a pet?
When you apply for a driving license, do you follow due process or just hop in a car, have at it, and expect a responding police officer to hold your hand in to drivers Ed as you break traffic laws along the way?
Disagree. It’s a wild rodent. Who gives a fuck. I poison them so they don’t squirrel in to my house and chew wood/wires 
I agree, generally. Especially in rural areas with lots of space. However, keeping wildlife in high density populations does increase odds of spreading disease/parasites and regulation makes sense. I’m a proponent of legalizing drugs on the same merit as alcohol, but I wouldn’t want a meth lab in my neighbors house given the threat of toxic fumes, fires and explosions.
No.
I don’t have time this afternoon to go down a winding, “what if” trail of strawman arguments, but in general I:
A. Agree the militarization and overreach our police forces is a problem
B. Do not see a comparison between clearly broken laws in Peanut’s scenario and the shady police response in the Schiffler case, at all. And I’m not interested in the mental gymnastics trying to force a case. It was a fucked up scenario. And part of problem A, specifically overreach
C. We simply aren’t going to see eye to eye on the value of the squirrels life. And generally speaking you do agree regulations are necessary as evidenced by prior posts across the boards, but you’re going to selectively argue against them with intentionally manipulative logic here for as long as I continue responding today, and as mentioned I just don’t have time this afternoon.
Its the overreach of government when the agencies act like nazi stormtroopers to make a point
- When you have illegal migrants raping women and children
- When you have drug addicts on the streets assaulting citizens
- When you have mental nuts punching older women in the faces
- When you have nut cases pushing people on the subways
- When you have homeless pissing and shitting in front of businesses and harassing customers
and their focus is on a couple of harmless pets…squirrel and racoon or not…does not matter
these agencies in new york need a top to bottom overhaul
nuts!
There is a process and it does start after you rehab an animal, not before.
On someone’s property. Obviously, the state sees it as more than just a rodent as it dedicated an entire agency to deal with it.
The guy had one squirrel and one raccoon.
Here’s the thing, if it was a pet, it was his property. They destroyed his property. But since technically you can’t have a pet squirrel (but you can keep one if you have the proper paperwork as a rehaber) then it was a wild animal on his property. A squirrel makes a home in my attic, that’s my problem; the government doesn’t need to raid my house.
The point is, where is due process? If he was breaking the law, why wasn’t he arrested and charged with a crime? Did they determine he was illegally possessing the squirrel? They saw videos of a squirrel in a home. Is it illegal for a squirrel to be in your house?
The Marmot Is Not The Issue!
I assure you the rank and file hate this kind of trash but are in a tough spot … but leftist vermin keep getting elected so… what to do?
Amphibious rodents used for domestic assaults…
In California there were black squirrels who carried the plague. So literal black death squirrels, which I think is pretty metal.
They pop up in gold country now and again. As a child I had a favorite campground (Plumas Eureka) close down twice due to the plague.
Used to watch the ground squirrels at Camp Pendleton eat dead snakes
I dont have that answer, but sometimes it takes standing up for what’s right has to happen
1 bee sting won’t hurt…but a hive will