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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 4, 2002
Re: "Crane shot by nail gun on the mend," Dec. 28.
Young Genaro Botello did a nasty thing, shooting a bird in the leg with a nail gun, but consider his transgression in the light of the slaughter of -- how many? -- 20, 10 or 5 million turkeys for our recent festivals of gluttony. Don't we license people to hunt, wound and kill deer and other wildlife? Don't fish get snagged with hooks by the thousands on any given day?
The sandhill crane is not endangered, and these birds will approach aggressively looking for a handout. While amusingly nonchalant in their dealings with humans, they are also a darned nuisance to clean up after. (They pull up flowers and peck along the edges of sidewalks, scattering dirt several times a day.)
Young Genaro Botello did a nasty thing, no doubt about it. But 10 days, 300 hours, three years of probation and $1630 for fees, fines and bird rehab from the 19 year old seems a little harsh. Drunk drivers and wife batterers should get such judgments! Also, a few of our public officials and yes, a couple of lapsed judges, too.
-- Irwin Schuster, Tampa Palms