Editorial Report

EDITORIAL: HSUS makes pawns of DFG, CA politicians By BILL KARR/WON Staff WriterPublished: Apr 17, 2012

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EDITORIAL It's hard to imagine that one special interest group could have such an influence over an entire state agency, and also on 40 state legislators, but that is what the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has done in California. And they are flaunting it!   First, they infiltrated the DFG years ago with relatively minor donations to the DFG game warden K-9 program, eventually worming their way into even sitting on the "Strategic Visions" revamp of the DFG — pretty amazing for an anti-hunting, animal rights group.   And then, when they failed in their attempt to get Fish and Game President Dan Richards to resign after his mountain lion hunt, they went vindictive, and solicited the help of an unsuspecting Senator Ted Lieu, who probably thought he was doing something good. Then, 39 other state legislators signed onto a letter with him to ask for Richards’ resignation — all at the beck and call of HSUS!   The purpose of all this? Because HSUS wants to stop all hunting in California, as they have tried to do for decades nationwide. And now, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance has outlined their entire game plan in detail, in the April 20 issue of WON, very much as California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) and WON have been doing for years.     What it boils down to is this: Despite the strident and public proclamations made by CA HSUS representative Jennifer Fearing that HSUS is not "anti-hunting," in the organizations own words they are now shown to be just that. Even on public radio. Fearing stated more than once that "HSUS is not anti-hunting," once again proven to be a lie.   All of this has been bought by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and even some California politicians.   The DFG and politicians have been used, and abused, by one special interest group for one purpose — to stop hunting one species at a time — first in California, and then in the nation. The facts are out and plain to see. It will be hard to imagine that the DFG can maintain their partnership with HSUS now, and even harder for politicians to simply bow to the requests of this group, that is now proven to be out for one thing only: the advancement of their agenda to stop all hunting in the United States.   And that's something that will never happen here in California, or in the nation. We are, after all, living in the land of the free, and in a Democratic society. We all have the right to pursue those legal activities that we enjoy, even if everyone does not approve of them.   It might be a good idea for the California Department of Fish and Game, and the state politicians, to get back to their jobs and stop bowing to the dictates of a fringe, special interest group that is only out for their own advancement.