On internal combustion vehicles, the front end is often called “the grill” because it has an area that allows air to flow thru the radiator to cool the engine. But now Californians may mean something entirely different when talking about their automobile and “the grill.”
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Get ready to break out your recipes for roadkill. Eating wild animals killed by a car could soon become legal in California.
State Senator Bob Archuleta introduced a so-called “you kill it, you grill it” bill at the Capitol this week.
The bill reads, “each year it is estimated that over 20,000 deer alone are hit by motor vehicles on California roadways. This translates into hundreds of thousands of pounds of healthy meat that could be utilized to feed those in need.”
Ok, so thought number one was the parody that Rush Limbaugh did many years ago on the subject. He illustrated serving roadkill with a parody of diners eating the special of the day at mythical Furs Cafeteria. About the third day of running the parody, he got a polite cease and desist letter from Furr’s Cafeteria letting him know that they were offended. Rush had to alter the parody as a result.
In the old days roadkill was given to jails and prisons as a way to supplement the menu. Since Jerry Brown let so many felons out of prison without serving their sentences (over 50,000) maybe this is the Democrat’s way of making them feel at home in the “real world.”
However, there is more to this juicy story…
UC Davis has maintains a website documenting roadkill incidents across California.
In 10 years, the California Roadkill Observation System has recorded 60,000 cases of roadkill collisions, mostly with deer.
Ok, color me shocked. Did you know your tax dollars were hard at work funding the California Roadkill Observation System? Is the guy running this vital government agency a double major in environmental studies and traffic engineering?
Please note that you’ve been paying for this for at least the last ten years. Does that mean Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized this boondoggle too?
Next please note the math in this story. Bob Archuleta claims there are 20,000 deer killed each year on California highways while the taxpayer funded California Roadkill Observation System claims that 60,000 animals—mostly deer—have been murdered by passing autos in a ten year period.
Using Bob’s statistic, we should expect over 200,000 deer to be killed in a ten year period. That sounds like we are supposed to celebrate deer genocide by destroying the evidence that there were ever any deer in California.
As a former deer hunter, I’m saddened by this issue. In many parts of the state, deer are almost as scarce as jack rabbits these days and now government is trying to give you an incentive to run over them with your car. Need a bambulance?
The bill, notwithstanding any other law, would authorize (a) a person who unintentionally strikes and kills a deer, elk, antelope, or wild pig on a roadway in California with a vehicle to recover, possess, use, or transport the whole animal and salvage the edible portions of the animal…
Link: Will Californians Eat Roadkill For Dinner?
The bill is discriminatory in several ways.
First, after hitting a deer with my vehicle, how does anyone know what my intent was? The only other witness to the carnage (good word choice in this context) is dead.
Second, besides a town baring the name, are there any antelope in this state?
Third, this bill discriminates against other species of animals commonly hit by vehicles and consumed by groups living in the state. Rabbits, coons, and possums come to mind. But why stop there? What about cats and dogs? If they can’t stay on the leash and happen to wok in front of you then aren’t they fair game too? Cows and horses are both consumed in this state and occasionally wander in front of vehicles as well.
I personally have hit one dog, one cat, two owls, one pheasant, at least one snake, and a possum since getting my license at age sixteen. Oh, the owls and pheasant were all airborne when the fatal blows were struck.
If you look at the economic direction of this state, are they anticipating a time when we will be like Venezuela and need to eat anything we can grill just to survive? Is this the end-game of healthcare for all and other utopian ideas?
Lastly, don’t you find it curious that vehicle insurance statistics are not cited to prove the widespread slaughter of furry mammals by motorized vehicles? We are all required by law to have our cars insured so clearly hard numbers exist as to the actual number of such collisions that occur annually.