The state resolution supporting the recognition of cockfighting as a cultural activity reads like a Top 10 list on the Tonight Show.
After making it through a roster of reasons to back this legally toothless measure, we waited for the punch line that never came.
There was that bit to remind us “Abraham Lincoln was nicknamed ‘Honest Abe’ not for his politics, but because of his honesty as a cockfight referee.” Then there’s the point about how great fighting manoks live — “raised in fresh air and sunshine” with “plenty of room to move around.” This is compared to the misery of factory-farm chickens — “raised in cramped and crowded pens before being slaughtered for human consumption.”
House Concurrent Resolution 277/House Resolution 199 is so close to an April Fool’s joke that we almost laughed until we realized the lawmakers who introduced it, including Kaua‘i’s Roland Sagum, D-16th District, are quite serious.
The House Tourism, Culture and International Affairs Committee unbelievably passed the resolution on Monday with a 4-2 vote. Fortunately, Kaua‘i’s state Rep. James Tokioka, D-15th District, was wise enough to be one of the two who said “no” to essentially condoning an illegal activity.
As Tokioka said, “Why do we pass it if we’re not going to get to the next step?”
The politicians pushing it will likely lure those in favor of this illegal activity. The question is whether they will gain more votes than they lose. But that’s their gamble to take.
The full House of Representatives on Tuesday killed the resolution by sending it back to committee, but we’re glad it lived long enough to bring this important discussion before the public.
Despite cockfighting being against the law in Hawai‘i (a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $2,000 and one year in prison) and a felony offense in 39 states, some of our lawmakers still think this resolution is a good idea.
The sport, or cultural activity if you prefer, has been banned here since kingdom days more than a century ago. King Kalakaua outlawed cockfighting during the late 1800s and it has been illegal ever since, according to Kaua‘i Humane Society Executive Director Dr. Becky Rhoades. We believe the king made a smart move then and we believe that it has not been overturned since for good reason.
The resolution naturally fails to point out any place in America to support the argument. Instead, the measure notes “cockfighting is a proud Hispanic tradition — one many are unwilling to give up — and a legal activity in Mexico.” Some have also underscored — we suspect as an argument to make cockfighting legal here (which this resolution would not have done) — this bloody activity is the national sport of the Philippines. While it’s not (sipa is), there is no doubting its popularity there and subsequently here.
While we unquestionably support the convergence of cultural influences found in Hawai‘i — it’s part of what makes the place so amazing — some traditions should simply be left behind.
Hawai‘i should be free of cockfighting and all the baggage that comes with it, including the blades, blood, death, gambling and drugs. Despite the amendment to the resolution reaffirming the lawmakers do not support gambling, betting or gaffs, we’re unconvinced cockfighting exists without these in general practice.
We believe this activity — like dogfighting and similar sports with cultural roots that have since been outlawed — undercuts the culture of ‘ohana at the foundation of Hawai‘i. There are healthier ways to cut loose and entertain ourselves than strapping gaffs to roosters’ feet, throwing them in a ring, watching them slash each other apart and then tossing their bloody, sometimes still breathing bodies in a “dead pile.”
State lawmakers prudently put an end to this resolution. If this issue resurfaces, we hope it comes with teeth, such as an actual bill to legalize cockfighting. Let’s not dance around the issue; if it’s worth addressing, let’s do so head on.
In the meantime, let’s get back to working on the matters at hand that really matter right now, like putting people back to work and getting kids back in class.
