Ridiculous claims
In the comments to this entry of last Thursday, on greyhounds not being considered dogs under Kansas law, Ron called my attention to the National Greyhound Association’s response (a PR Newswire story, i.e., one bought and paid for by the NGA.)
An officer of Grey2K, a national organization whose sole purpose is to abolish greyhound racing nationwide, testified that the NGA and the State of Kansas did not consider greyhounds to be dogs. Inexplicably, some media reported this as a fact. In truth, neither the NGA nor the State of Kansas has ever made the ridiculous claim that greyhounds are not dogs. The activist’s statement was immediately corrected by NGA Executive Director Gary Guccione. […] “As to whether greyhounds are dogs, the media and Grey2K seem to be the only people confused on that point.”
From The Kansas Pet Animal Act, Article 17:
“Dog” means any animal which is wholly or in part of the species Canis familiaris but does not include any greyhound, as defined by K.S.A. 74-8802 and amendments thereto.
Yeah, but, it's clearly just a legal thing. Not a taxonomic thing. Not really at all on a par with the ongoing theological war against science. The same act excludes horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, domesticated deer and domesticated fowl from the category of "animal". Does anyone really think that Kansans really think that horses aren't animals, biologically speaking?
This whole thing is pretty obviously just a tactic being employed by anti-greyhound-racing activists to make their opponents look stupid, and it's apparently been adopted by snotty Californians to make Kansans look stupid--"Hey, look at how stoopid them Kansans is!"
Though I would guess the legal reasons for defining greyhounds as not-dog are probably pretty odious. I'm guessing those reasons somehow involve money. Or a politician who really likes the dog races.
Posted by Geoff on March 22 2005 20:12
thats the most insane law ever!
Posted by darkwave on March 23 2005 10:25
Ihave to agree with Geoff's comments above. The "greyhounds are not dogs" statement is a legal/logical one, for the purposes of that law, not an attempt to re-define biology.
It's evident from reading the quoted articles that "dogs" in that law is shorthand for "dogs kept as pets and subject to pet-protection laws".
Of course, that does not excuse cruel treatment of racing greyhounds. But saying that "Kansas laws say that greyhounds aren't dogs" is a misrepresentation.
Posted by Jimcat on March 23 2005 12:02
Oh, bullshit, Jim. Kansas law does too say that greyhounds aren't dogs, in almost exactly those words.
Yes, of course it means that greyhounds are excluded from the protections afforded other dogs, and it's a legal rather than biological distinction. My original entry read "are legally not dogs there" (emphasis added); the activist is explicitly trying to change that legal distinction, not launch an awareness campaign that greyhounds are, indeed, dogs.
And the NGA's response is "oh, look, how silly, this is a non-issue Of course greyhounds are dogs," conveniently ignoring that they are denying the letter of Kansas law, which conveniently is precisly serving their purposes.
It's a stupid law deserving mockery. I'm obliging.
Posted by Zed on March 23 2005 17:42
Maybe they will legislate that ethnic group FOOBAR are not humans. To say they can't would just be more whinning from the reality-based community.
Posted by a on March 25 2005 11:27
It's bad code. It breaks the object-oriented paradigm with which reality was constructed.
=========================
Does yur doog byete?
No.
RarghtaRaatafarrrsdferrraesrgse.
You said yur doog doeseent byete!
That is not my dog. That is my greyhound.
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"No dogs on beach"
"Officer, this is not a dog, it is a greyhound."
"Yes, good point. Since the law acknowledges that greyhouds are not dogs, so they may be mercilessly exploited on the track, it allows them the freedom to be on the beach, run through restaurants, and ride airplanes unattented."
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"Please clean up after your dog."
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Helps the economy, especially the builder's industry. Now every vetinarian's office has to have 3 enterances. Cats, Dogs, and Greyhounds.
Posted by asdf on April 27 2005 20:36