At the 4 December 2013 Business Meeting, Valencia County Commissioners voting down a resolution, 3 to 2, opposing animal killing contests.
The resolution, which merely reflected the OPINION of the Commission, would have made the county the first in New Mexico to oppose animal killing contests. The majority of the packed house spoke in favor of the resolution with very few people speaking in dissent. Those in support frequently expressed compassion, respect for nature, and concern for public safety as compelling reasons for the resolution. One supporter mentioned a term that seems to be growing in popularity renaming the county as “Violencia.”
It is unfortunate that a majority of commissioners chose an “avoid controversy” approach, but we can only hope that someday perhaps more enlightened commissioners will choose the more compassionate approach.
Our thanks go out to Commissioner Alicia Aguilar who initiated the Resolution, and to Charles Eaton who supported it.
As Ghandi said: “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”