Tougher penalties needed

A state Senate committee has taken an important step toward toughening penalties on cockfighting by approving a bill that would make the crime a felony on first offense. The bill also increases penalties for those who attend the matches.

Senate passage of the bill would be particularly important because that's where a previous effort to strengthen first-offense cockfighting penalties was weakened. In Thursday's committee vote, senators disregarded the arguments of cockfighting advocates who had insisted, for example, that the blood sport is no less offensive than hunting with a bow and arrow. But law enforcement officials have clearly demonstrated that cockfighting is closely tied to gambling and illegal drug use.

The bill would make cockfighting a felony with a minimum fine of $500 for the first offense. It's currently a misdemeanor.

Increasing South Carolina's penalties for cockfighting will bring them in line with those for most states and will help discourage its cruel tradition.

The Legislature should put cockfighting penalties on a par with those for dogfighting.

The (Charleston) Post and Courier