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NOT INTO CHICKENS
In response to the City Pages article in
Flagpole, May 28, "Urban Chickens to Be Given
a Chance?"—I certainly hope not! Wanting
to keep a few chickens for their eggs sounds
harmless enough, but the reality would be
something else: the odor of chicken manure
wafting through our neighborhoods in the
summertime heat
comes to mind first.
Then, wouldn't
chicken houses
(coops) be needed,
requiring building
permits and construc
tion? Otherwise, hens
in the open wouldn't
lay, and predators
would have a field
day. And then what .
would people do with their chickens that stop
laying? They don't make good stew and aren't
good pets. Slaughtering them and burying
them in the back yard would be an option, but
do we want to permit that in town? We'd most
likely turn to Animal Control for help, which
would require additional staff.
The more I think about this, the worse the
idea sounds. To summarize my own feeling, I
agree with those who are saying, "If you want
to raise livestock, go live on a farm!"
Mary O'Briant
Athens
ALSO ANTI-CHICKENS
Recently, I have been reading about
"chickens in the garden," the latest craze
for living garden ornaments. Martha Stewart
has made this sound not only plausible but
wonderful. Martha's magazine shows beautiful
birds and different-colored eggs and makes
this seem like a romantic idea for our own liv
ing gardens. But she has a farm, or certainly
some acreage. She does not have a small lot
in town.
In town, this would not be so romantic.
We would have the stink of manure from these
birds, perhaps even bird flu to contend with,
because people with these "living ornaments"
wouldn't know how to care for them. Keeping
chickens is not a matter of letting cute little
animals run wild in the garden. These animals
need specialized care, and there are health,
noise, and pollution issues to worry about.
I put up with too many animals already
here in town: the visiting dogs at night; the
raccoons and rabbits. And I had four gigantic
deer in my garden last week, as well as four
beautiful cats that love to squash and dig up
my plants. I have little choice but to accom
modate these animals, so please don't anyone
ask me to add chickens to my list. People who
wish for farm-raised eggs and chickens should
move to the country and raise them there
or buy them at the
local farmers' mar
ket. Please leave me
out of any romantic
thoughts about rais
ing chickens.
And I worry about
the "slippery slope."
Once chickens move
to a small lot, what's
next? A small pig? A
miniature horse? Or
what about one of those darling kangaroos,
like the ones they're raising in Dawsonville?
So much fun!
Seriously, friends. Be kind to your neigh
bors and to these animals. Leave them to the
wide open spaces.
Betty Myrtle
Athens
PRO-CHICKENS
In response to "Urban Chickens to be Given
a Chance?" [City Pages, May 28]:
We fully support allowing families and
individuals to keep chickens in town and urge
the Athens-Clarke County government to pass
an ordinance allowing urban chickens. We
do not have chickens, nor are we particularly
interested in acquiring any. We have, how
ever, lived next door to neighbors who did
keep a very small flock of chickens until they
were forced to give them up. We loved having
chickens next door; they are fascinating little
creatures. They created no problems at all-
hens are quiet, clean, and unless you venture
over to visit them, you may never notice them
in your neighboring yard. Raising chickens
in your backyard is humane, environmentally
sound, and offers a wonderful alternative to
purchasing eggs from hens treated cruelly in
factory farms. Please consider supporting the
allowance of urban chickens in Athens-Clarke
County—it's a good thing.
Kristy and Thad Dixon
Athens
REP. BROUN’S CENSORSHIP
Rep. Paul Broun's (R-Athens) proposed bill
to ban visually titillating men's magazines
from being sold at military bases would con
stitute censorship, pure and simple.
The two examples he cites—Playboy
and Penthouse—are universally available.
Their editorial content has repeatedly been
redeemed in the courts as NOT pornographic.
Given what's out there, they aren't even
"sexually explicit," as he contends, and they
certainly don't violate "The Military Honor and
Decency Act."
Dr. Broun ought to consult a First
Amendment lawyer before wasting the govern
ment's time with such absurd legislation. His
proposal is so laughable it's already being
mocked on national TV. Even as a campaign
ploy to appeal to conservatives, it's a misfire.
Enough, please!
John W. English
Athens
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BUMPERSTICKER OF THE WEEK:
Don’t Blame Me,
I Voted for Willie Nelson
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4 FLAGPOLE.COM ■ JUNE 4,2008
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