Oklahoma was one of the last states to make cockfighting illegal, even though it was normal for people to watch roosters fight together.
Some people are afraid that Oklahoma is starting to do cockfighting again even though the law against it was put in place more than twenty years ago. Several events have led to this theory being supported: political groups have been raising money for farmers who raise game birds, and a video emerged of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt telling the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission that he would “cheer you on from the sidelines.”
Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action, talked about cockfighting. He said that the fights usually happen in barns, where small stages are set up that draw a lot of people, even families with kids.
It is against the law at the government level to fight roosters, and many people thought the problem was solved until recently when it started to happen again. But Governor Stitt said, “Of course, I’m not for gamecock fighting.” He then said that he would lower the fines if someone brought him a bill to do so.
A lot of people don’t like what Anthony Devore, head of the Gamefowl Commission, does, but he says that all he does is raise gamecocks for poultry shows and to sell overseas. He said that he knows he’s working on the edge of the law, but that he’s not using them for cockfighting.
A lot of people are worried about the animal’s safety and the legality of some of the things that are happening in Oklahoma. A lot of people think that this is happening again because of money and politics.
