From AOL News:
BOISE, Idaho (Oct. 28) - A black cat won't cross your path this Halloween, not if a northern Idaho animal shelter can help it. Like many shelters around the country, the Kootenai Humane Society in Coeur d'Alene is prohibiting black cat adoptions from now to Nov. 2, fearing the animals could be mistreated in Halloween pranks - or worse, sacrificed in some satanic ritual.
This is what we worry about these days, is it?
Last night I was out in Thailand, where they're cat crazy. Cats are everywhere. I stopped in at a joint for a cold beer, and a black cat was on the bar, flat on his back, getting some zzz's. He was probably the coolest cat I'd seen in my life. Jet black, just lying there with all four paws up, lounging to the rock music coming over the box.
For a laugh, I asked the Thai lady behind the bar how much she wanted for him. She told me 1000 baht, or around thirty bucks. Another guy came in and I pointed at the cat. I told him how much the cat cost.
"1000 baht?" the guy said. "For what, the BBQ?"
I swear on all the books that the cat jerked its head up, looked at me and the other guy, and then took off like a bat out of hell.
That's a smart cat. Earlier that night I happened by a hotdog stand and looked at their wares. From left to right, the selection was thus: cockroach, grub, cricket, scorpion, and something I couldn't recognize. In a place like that, cats beware.
But in northern Idaho?
More from AOL News:
The shelter's executive director, Phil Morgan, said that while the risk may be remote, the policy will remain just in case.
"It's kind of an urban legend. But in the humane industry it's pretty typical that shelters don't do adoptions of black cats or white bunnies because of the whole satanic sacrificial thing," Morgan said. "If we prevent one animal from getting hurt, then it serves its purpose."
"The whole satantic sacrificial thing." That's almost as dubious as "kind of an urban legend." Well, which is it? An urban legend, or not?
I'm willing to bet that Morgan has no firsthand evidence of a sacrificial rite being performed on a cat, black or otherwise. If he did, he wouldn't have to tell us that it was "kind of an urban legend." He'd be able to say, "Last year ten cats were slaughtered and I won't allow that to happen again."
But he can't. Because it's a crock.
Morgan isn't entirely to blame. The latest laws and rules being passed are for our own protection. Protection from living the life we want, that is. Morgan's just going with the flow. Kids can't play tag in school. You can't ride a bicycle without a helmet. People in Omaha are being told to call 911 if they see someone light a cigarette in public. All massive concerns.
I watched a news conference the other day, where four people were being held as 'people of interest' in the murder of a Florida family. The man behind the podium read off each individual's name and, without a hint of embarrassment, told us their criminal histories. More than a dozen felonies between them, and a slew of misdemeanors. Not one of them had a clean rap sheet. Two of them had been arrested and charged with other crimes as recently as a few months ago.
That a lawman can stand there without shame and tell the nation that a family is dead because they didn't lock up these scumbags when they had the chance(s) is amazing. The press should have been all over him for that. They let it slide, because we're used to it. Letting lowlifes off the hook is our stock in trade.
Imagine standing in front of your boss and saying the following: "As you know, the company's going under because I was late to work three times. Then I didn't bother to call John to make sure something was being done. Then I goofed off for a weekend so I could go fishing. Then I went to Vegas and got some hookers on the company's dime. Well, you're not going to like this, but I cheated on the tax forms and now we're going bankrupt."
Would your boss let it get to the 'bankrupt' stage, or would you be canned after the fishing trip? Should we allow the cops and judges to let it get to the 'family murdered in Florida' stage?
The real concern is when we stop looking at evidence, and start basing our rules on feelings. "I once heard an urban legend that cats are sacrificed to Satan. I like cats. Therefore I will ban anyone from adopting a black cat over Halloween."
The implied argument here is that you're the Satan worshipping criminal. Morgan went on to say the shelter "is happy to adopt out animals. Would-be black-cat owners will simply have to wait a few days." Just like that, you practice black magic and you're on a waiting list that would make the anti-gun crowd applaud. Try explaining that to your kid. "I'm sorry, sweetie, we can't pick up Muffy till after the weekend because the nice man is afraid you'll disembowel her in Lucifer's name."
We'd better start worrying more about the people that want to kill Florida families, and less about the urban legends. After meeting that cat in Thailand, I can tell you that the cats can take care of themselves.
Time we did the same.
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