Category: Animal House
A 39 year old man from Ukraine, who had spent 9 months in federal prison, was deported for selling sperm whale teeth to a Nantucket scrimshaw artist. Also, per the signature of Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, Mr. Positivity himself, I can now bequeath my entire estate to my pet upon my death, shall we say "turn it all over to Rover."
Now on the surface these actions have some merit. The Ukranian was caught in something illegal, trafficking in an endangered species, and there's nothing wrong with saying in a will "I Sponge Bob, upon my death leave my entire estate to my best friend, Patrick Star, to provide care for my pet, Gary Snail."
Beyond the superficial, though, it seems as if we're on the slippery slope to animals having more rights than humans. Aren't there non U S citizens here engaged in far worse behaviors than violations of the Endangered Species Act and they're NOT deportation eligible? For example in Phoenix a Liberian family turned their EIGHT YEAR OLD daughter over to foster care for the "offense" of being GANG RAPED by teenagers, thus "soiling their family honor", and most likely they're still here? There are known organized crime rings in some parts of the world, and a doctor got her identity totally stolen & credit ruined by a gang of Nigerians operating out of one of those mail storage places? Most likely they're still here, but get caught offending the animals, you're gone...I love animals, but IMO this has gone over the top.