It probably came as a shock to many readers to see stories Monday and today about a police raid on a cockfighting ring in Sevier County near De Queen, Ark.
Authorities arrested more than 130 people, including spectators. And they seized more than 200 live birds-and found some that didn't make it out of the pit, too.
It's hard to imagine there are that many who still engage in promoting or watching this sort of savage brutality these days. But the "sport" as those involved continue to insist it is, is all about money. Lots of money.
The wagering can go into the hundreds, even thousands of dollars. That kind of cash apparently dwarfs anything remotely related to humanity.
Animal fighting is nothing new in our area. From time to time authorities are able to to bust a cockfight or a dogfight, but they still go on mostly undetected. Dogfighting has long been considered inhumane but it wasn't all that long ago-just 10 years-that cockfighting was still legal in Louisiana. Oklahoma didn't outlaw it until 2002 and New Mexico allowed it until 2007. And one of the nation's most influential cockfight magazines was published in De Queen until 2009. Now it's illegal in all states and in Arkansas can lead to a felony charge. Depending on the evidence, gambling on the fights could carry another batch of charges.
But some still see it as a tradition passed down through generations. Others see profit. Most of us just see the cruelty and shame.
Whether those arrested are guilty or innocent is up to the courts. Let us just say that in our view anyone convicted of participating in animal fighting should be punished to the full extent the law allows. And we hope area law enforcement continues their vigilance against this abominable practice.