Tigers#1
08-12-2005, 04:44 PM
Help Bench the “Gamecocks”
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PETA recently contacted the presidents of the University of South Carolina and Jacksonville State University and suggested that the schools consider changing the names of their sports teams, both of which are called the Gamecocks. We pointed out that the Washington Wizards team changed its name from the Bullets after deciding that it didn’t want to be associated with violence, so it can be done.
The Gamecocks are named after birds used in cockfighting. These birds are pumped full of stimulants, hormones, and blood-clotting drugs. They have sharp blades attached to their legs to make the fights more exciting, i.e., bloodier. The birds routinely suffer hideous injuries, such as broken legs and wings, punctured lungs, and split eyes and are left to die outside the ring. Cockfighting is illegal in all but three states, and is a felony in South Carolina. Please drop a line to the schools’ presidents and ask that they score points for compassion by benching the "Gamecocks" name. A new name can energize a team and is not a threat—it’s a move forward.
Write to:
Dr. John M. Palms, President
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
E-mail: palms@sc.edu
Fax: 803-777-3264
Dr. William A. Meehan, President
700 Pelham Rd.
Jacksonville, AL 36265
E-mail: bmeehan@jsucc.jsu.edu
Fax: 256-782-5888
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PETA recently contacted the presidents of the University of South Carolina and Jacksonville State University and suggested that the schools consider changing the names of their sports teams, both of which are called the Gamecocks. We pointed out that the Washington Wizards team changed its name from the Bullets after deciding that it didn’t want to be associated with violence, so it can be done.
The Gamecocks are named after birds used in cockfighting. These birds are pumped full of stimulants, hormones, and blood-clotting drugs. They have sharp blades attached to their legs to make the fights more exciting, i.e., bloodier. The birds routinely suffer hideous injuries, such as broken legs and wings, punctured lungs, and split eyes and are left to die outside the ring. Cockfighting is illegal in all but three states, and is a felony in South Carolina. Please drop a line to the schools’ presidents and ask that they score points for compassion by benching the "Gamecocks" name. A new name can energize a team and is not a threat—it’s a move forward.
Write to:
Dr. John M. Palms, President
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
E-mail: palms@sc.edu
Fax: 803-777-3264
Dr. William A. Meehan, President
700 Pelham Rd.
Jacksonville, AL 36265
E-mail: bmeehan@jsucc.jsu.edu
Fax: 256-782-5888