OPINION — Editorial

Find a better way

We've always done it this way.

How many times has that been said? And it's not even a good excuse. It may be the worst of excuses.

Foot binding. We've always done it that way. Bride kidnapping. We've always done it that way. Once upon a time, drawing and quartering. We've always done it that way.

Frat hazing. Drinking games. Bull fighting. Dog fighting. Cock fighting.

Just because it's always been done that way doesn't mean a tradition should continue. For a great example in the Natural State, take the tossing of turkeys from an airplane at the yearly Turkey Trot Festival in Yellville. Better it was named the Turkey Toss Festival.

We know, turkeys can fly. Most turkeys. Wild turkeys. Anybody who's spent any time on rural gravel roads in Arkansas has come across a flock in the middle of the road and watched them fly away from a passing car. But even a wild turkey taken directly from the woods will probably be scared silly were it tossed from a plane several stories up.

But a domestic bird? This is cruel. There is no other word. And every once in a while, these poor animals forget to fly, and bounce. Last year, two of the dozen or so birds died on "impact." That's not a very efficient rate of flyers.

If folks still want to go to a festival and perhaps run around catching birds for Thanksgiving, why not just release the creatures about town? An open cage here and there. That seems more humane, and sporting, than watching one bounce at your feet.

Come on, Yellville. Evolve. It has to happen one day. Enough national bad press, OK?

Editorial on 10/17/2017

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