People are saying cockfighting is wrong, but in my opinion, it is not worse than letting two men or two women get in a ring and beat and punch each other until one gets knocked out or can’t fight any longer.

The same people who are saying cockfighting is wrong are letting their children watch and cheer on boxing and wrestling.

So if cockfighting is wrong, boxing and wrestling must be wrong, too. A boxing match is more bloody and barbaric than a cockfight has ever been, but you don’t hear regular people or the legislators complaining about that.

Cock owners don’t wait to kill off their cock. They fed, water and take care of these cocks. You could say they give the cocks something to live for, and they take very good care of these cocks. You could go as far as saying they love these cocks as much as a dog owner loves his dogs.

I bet if the hens and cocks that are raised for cockfighting purposes could talk they would tell you they would much rather be living, waiting to fight than living waiting to be slaughtered and packed to be sold to stores where they wait for people to buy them and put them on your dinner plate.

Not all the cocks that are used to fight die. Most of them live and are ready to go for the next fight. In other words, they have something to live for.

These cocks are not forced to fight or taught to fight. It’s in their blood. The cocks I’ve seen raised, they start fighting on their own, from the ages of a month or two months old, and they have never been touched by a human hand, only cared for by the mother hen.

The hen weans them and leaves them to care for themselves and that’s when the cock owners take over and start caring for them.

All the cock fighters and cock owners need to stand together and stand up for their rights. Let the legislators know how well you care for and love your cocks. The legislators should think about the people who raise chickens to be slaughtered and eaten by millions of people, including the legislators themselves.

Elissa Hall

Natchez resident