[Orange1998]

They kill the animal for food and then get issued arrest warrant. What am I missing here.

[Frank_Discussion]

While I don't envision eating a raccoon myself any time soon, I don't see an issue here.

[T.Smith]

"Animal control officer Kim Winter said Zimmerman should have contacted authorities when he saw the raccoon."

How dare you take matters into your own hands. You must call the government to take care of your problems, no matter how insignificant.

[boomop1]

Wow what about all the rats they are killin in NY city, what's the dif?

[subterfuge]

"a University of Georgia student accused of killing a raccoon that was then skinned, burned and eaten by members of his fraternity."

Should say 'exterminated nuisance racoon, cleaned, and baked with a honey glaze and devoured by resourceful students.'

[cyborg]

Guess I won't be getting a coonskin cap anytime soon.

[Tijeras_Slim]

You slug a raccoon with a traffic cone and it doesn't run off, so you kill it and eat it? I guess these brainiacs never considered it might have had rabies.

[Prime Choice]

These guys seem to be running short in terms of brain thrust. In the majority of cases, any wild animal that shows no fear of humans is diseased.

Eating the flesh of a diseased wild animal ranks right up there with All-Time Stupid Things.

As an aside, I doubt it's the Raccoon part that's got these guys in hot water; it's probably the whole harvesting a wild animal without a hunting license bit. (If they let 'em get away with a raccoon, then the next thing will be poaching deer for venison, et cetera...et cetera...)

[Jaxter]

These kids were pretty stupid for eating it. Most animals would run from a human. What if it had rabies? The cruelty charges are bogus. Maybe they could charge him with hunting without a license or something. If this flies every hunter in Georgia could be charged every time they shoot an animal. Sounds like an activist judge.

[LTCJ]

Animal control officer Kim Winter said Zimmerman should have contacted authorities when he saw the raccoon.

Oh, dear lord. There's no hope for the Republic.

Question: Do Racoon Cops wash their donuts before eating them?

[flashbunny]

Notice instead of saying the animal was 'cooked', it was 'burned', apparently to make them seem even more cruel. The same way 'concealed' guns have become 'hidden' guns according to the media.

[UncleJeff]

The raccoon is a game animal in most States, requiring a license to hunt it and specifying open dates and firearm requirements. Probably at least three violations.

[R. Scott]

…after the meat was burned.

Is “burned” the new PC term for “cooked”?

[Redcloak]

...after the meat was burned.

Eewww! Nothin' worse than overcooked raccoon.

[KantianBurke]

Yuck! What kind of folks eat that wild animal in this day and age? :>

[sarasota]

I heard that there's a $40 reward for coons in some parts of the country. People pay to get them, skin them and use the pelts for....?

[Khurkris]

They are clearly violating this students cultural and ethnic heritage rights. This young man is merely demostrating skills and culinary preferences acquired thru his ancestual roots.

He obviously is showing skills learned from his roots as a HillBilly. Through out history brave Hillbillies have scoured the forests and roadways stalking the elusive raccoon. This nocturnal animal has been the preferred meal of many HillBilly family units. Long have tales of familial geneolgy been related over the campfire and kitchen stove as the raccoon is rendered of its fat, boiled for tenderness and then sauteed and enjoyed with root vegatables.

Violated I say! This young man is merely continuing in a long procession of HillBilly ethinc activities. HE MUST BE FREE !!

[Born Conservative]

They kill the animal for food and then get issued arrest warrant. What am I missing here.

The possible answer is here on this thread.

Animal control officials were concerned that the raccoon might have rabies because it had been acting ''erratically'' before fraternity members killed it by beating it and shooting it with a pellet gun.

Despite the fact that they are college students, I don't think we're dealing with rocket scientists here.

They kill the animal for food and then get issued arrest warrant. What am I missing here.

[ErnBatavia]

[CHUCKfromCAL]

Just thought you would like to know a little about this liberal activist judge. Her bio says she has always been a government employee. She is now an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law in Athens and the chief magistrate of Athens-Clarke County. Her phone number is (706) 542-7140, her fax is (706) 542-5556.

Her bio reads:

B.A., Mercer University, J.D., Georgetown University

Courses Offered: Interviewing, Negotiation and Counseling

Patricia Barron is currently the president-elect of the Western Circuit Bar Association for 2003-04.

Previously, she worked for Georgia Legal Services for 18 years, 10 of which she served as the director of the organization's Gainesville office. She has also served as the director of the University of Georgia School of Law's Family Violence Clinic. A 1979 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Barron earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Mercer University.

[Ophiucus]

They kill the animal for food and then get issued arrest warrant. What am I missing here.

If the charge is animal cruelty for killing and skinning the critter, I hope there isn't a slaughterhouse nearby...

Besides, it was a raccoon! That's a Southern delicacy! He should use a freedom to express his heritage as a defense.