I’m a conservative who doesn’t consider himself an animal rights activist by any means, but when I heard about the Brasstown “possum drop” I have to confess that even I thought it sounded cruel. Dropping a poor, innocent possum from a great height before a crowd of cheering revelers and watching it go splat to reign in the new year? It’s positively barbaric.
But as it turns out, that’s not what the possum drop is, at all, which is what you would imagine it to be if you are in the habit of only reading the headlines of articles, as I am. Instead, the rat is placed in a plexiglass box and lowered, very slowly, so slow as to be imperceptible. So it’s not a possum drop, it’s more like a “possum lowering” or a “possum descent.” The possum goes to the ground in his little box unharmed and is then set free to do other possum things, like spread rabies. Thus, this whole controversy is much ado about nothing.
I can’t imagine that people continue to oppose this even after learning what it’s all about. For all we know, the possum enjoys the drop just as much as everyone else and these animal rights activists are ruining his fun, just like they’re ruining the fun of all the merry revelers in little Brasstown.
I’m sure the real motive, though, isn’t for the welfare of the possum, but to prevent rednecks from having any enjoyment whatsoever. The event features live music, people in possum costumes, and even a drag show. This ought to be something progressives would really enjoy. Instead, they want to ruin the party because the wrong kind of people are attending.
The event will go on – this time, with the box containing a dead possum, roadkill, or possum stew. But it just won’t be the same, and for that we have the hippy animal rights people to thank. I say next year, instead of putting a possum in that plexiglass box and lowering it to the ground, we put a few of those PETA activists in there. It’ll proceed in exactly the same way as the possum drop except for the letting them out at the end part. But that won’t happen, because these same folks will probably whine about their constitutional rights being violated, or something similarly inane.
So congratulations PETA. You’ve ruined New Year’s – again. I hope you’re all happy.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
This is not a PETA issue. I absolutely do not like PETA who kill pets and think that no one should have one. I am an animal rehabber who cares about wild animals just like I care about pets, especially mine. This is a cruel activity to the poor, scared, wild opossum. They are not animals that want to live with people. Yes, they get freed at the end, but do they even go back to the location they are from? If this is the kind of comments that you post, then I will stop getting your weekly roundup.
Giving the possum a few days 5-star guest housing and food doesn’t seem cruel. Even the drop in the plexiglass box doesn’t sound any meaner than making the poor ol’ critter climb up & dive into your garbage can to get dinner. How many animal rights folks lay out a feast for the critters each night to save them from the multitude of dangers inherent in raiding their garbage cans (not to mention the embarrassment that might scar the possums’ egos)?.
The foremost expert scientists on possum biology and behavior agree the the animal will be disoriented and slow to rebound back to their natural habits and habitat—-leaving them even more susceptible to disease and predators.
Your welcome, you ignorant, self serving, sadistic, red neck. Perhaps, you will volunteer to take the opossum’s place. Nothing could be better then watch your fellow red necks drop your hips.
Can’t red necks have fun within their own species group and leave the others alone. This sounds as much fun as running a gauntlet. Maybe one of them can volunteer their pooch since it is so much fun.
I consider myself to be a moderate (a Democrat but really this isnt a GOP vs Dem issue) and I agree that PETA is overeacting a bit on this. The animal is captured, fed and given water for several days, put in a box with airholes for a bit, slowly dropped then released back into the wild. The animal is not harmed. I can see that it probably wouldn’t be entirely pleasant for the possum but does this process constitute animal cruelty? Is the animal in pain? I think not…
Nice job revealing your crasser and ignorant side, John. This blog is a veritable cornucopia of words, terms and thoughts that shows a crude mindset. “the rat,” “spread rabies,” “the possum enjoys the drop just as much as everyone else,” “put a few of those PETA activists in there (the box),” “hippy animal rights people,” “these same folks will probably whine about their constitutional rights being violated, or something similarly inane.”
Are you sure you don’t want to retract or delete this sad example of your thinking (and I use the word “thinking” very loosely here), John? Or was it a joke, and we can expect your next blog to be all of one word, i.e., “Gotcha!”? Or were you just running your April Fool’s blog a little early?
Umm. Technical detail ~ possums don’t often get rabies. They are marsupials and have a lower body temperature that it is believed make them more resistant. They do have a head full of very sharp teeth though.