Media Coverage - Vote No to Stop Cruelty Against Songbird that Defies State Tradition
Published November 2, 2006. Op-ed by Cal Morgan, Michigan Humane Society. Detroit News
For 100 years, the mourning dove has been protected in Michigan. Now, out-of-state extremists want to take away this tradition and create a dove shooting season with Proposal 3. The Michigan Humane Society strongly urges voters to keep Michigan's tradition of protecting doves by voting no on Proposal 3.
The Michigan Humane Society is the state's oldest and largest animal welfare organization. Best known for our work of rescuing companion animals and running animal shelters in Metro Detroit, we also have an obligation to speak out when our state's humane laws are threatened.
The bottom line is that there's no good reason to shoot doves. Doves are not overpopulated, they do not cause harm to people or property and, as there is virtually no meat on their tiny bodies, doves are not shot for food. The proposed dove shooting season is particularly cruel because it would take place during the doves' nesting season, meaning thousands of orphaned baby doves would die of starvation.
Doves are songbirds, not game birds. There are already 40 game bird species in Michigan -- do we need to shoot traditional backyard songbirds as well? And if we start down the path of shooting songbirds, what's next?
The Michigan Humane Society respects Michigan's hunting heritage, but shooting doves is not a part of that heritage. We respect traditional, ethical hunting practices, but blasting a tiny songbird for target practice is not right.
Dove shooting proponents' own polls show that even a majority of hunters are against shooting doves. A small number of people just want to use doves for "cheap skeet," and ethical sportsmen believe that's wrong.
A new dove shooting season will not help, and may even harm, Michigan's economy. A study proved that a dove shooting season would not produce economic benefit in Michigan (see the study at www.NoOnProposal3.com). In fact, it will cost tax dollars to run the new season. In these tough budget times, the state should spend our money on education, health care and job creation -- not dove shooting.
The Michigan Humane Society is partnering with the Committee to Keep Doves Protected, a grassroots coalition of farming, conservation, humane, faith-based and community organizations and thousands of Michigan citizens. Our coalition has only one goal: to keep doves protected -- just like they have been for 100 years.
Dove hunting proponents have tried to scare people into thinking that somehow if Proposal 3 does not pass it could lead to the end of hunting and fishing in Michigan. That's preposterous. How could keeping things the way they've always been threaten traditional hunting? We are simply protecting traditional Michigan values.
On Nov. 7, Michigan voters will have the chance to decide the fate of the mourning dove once and for all. The Michigan Humane Society urges them to continue to uphold the values Michiganians have shared for 100 years and prevent the needless shooting of mourning doves. Please vote no on Proposal 3 -- no on shooting doves.
Cal Morgan is chief executive of the Michigan Humane Society.