[El Rojo]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135188,00.html

Coyotes Have Community Howling Mad
Tuesday, October 12, 2004

VIDEO
• Coyotes Have Community Howling Mad

SAN JOSE, Calif._—_Residents in a gated community just outside San Jose (search) are howling mad: They say they're being terrorized by a family of coyotes (search) that has moved in, and they're getting no support from the city to get rid of them.

Neighbors said the coyotes follow people home, skulk around garages and have even stalked local children.

Longtime Villas of Almaden resident Gail Haywood said the coyotes killed her cat and dozens of others. She said she keeps her dog close when she ventures outside.

"In the mornings when I have to bring him out, they're sitting right here. It's not like I'm going out into the big woods with my dog — I'm coming out of my garage," she said.

In a suburban setting, coyotes like these can create a dangerous situation. But city council members voted against allowing residents to trap the coyotes out of what one council member called his deep respect for all life.

"I shouldn't just go out and just eradicate the environment, that's just not a natural state of events because we were not given the power to do that," said San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams. "And I feel strongly about life in the sense that, from a spiritual perspective, thou shall not kill, that's just a commandment that I live by."

Haywood said she respects Williams' point of view, but believes there are no other options.

"I understand him saying, 'I couldn't kill anything.' We don't want to kill anything. But we're given no other choice, and I think he could've removed himself if this is a personal belief."

Under state law, residents must get city approval to trap the coyotes, which are then euthanized by animal control. City leaders insist they're sympathetic, but want to explore other options.

For now, residents are doing what they can to protect their families and pets, and will keep pleading their case until they can convince the city they aren't just crying wolf.

Click on the video box near the top of this story to watch a report by FOX News' Claudia Cowan.

[foghornl]

How long will it be untill the coyotes no longer fear the human presence in that area?

Maybe the folks SHOULD trap the 'yotes, and drop them off in Councilman Willaims back yard!

Gives the California meaning to "Dingo's got your baby."

[armoredman]

Coyotes around here stupid enough to hunt humans quickly realize we ain't at the top of the food chain for nothin'!:cool:

[41mag]

I'd a thought that the mountain lion attacks would'a made SOMEBODY realize that they have wildlife problem.:rolleyes:

[R.H. Lee]

I shouldn't just go out and just eradicate the environment, that's just not a natural state of events because we were not given the power to do that," said San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams. "And I feel strongly about life in the sense that, from a spiritual perspective, thou shall not kill, that's just a commandment that I live by."

http://www.ci.san-jose.ca.us/council/dist2/Forrest3.jpg

Where do they find these morons?

[sumpnz]

Duplicate thread.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105535

[Standing Wolf]

...from a spiritual perspective, thou shall not kill, that's just a commandment that I live by.

I'll give you twenty-seventeen guesses which side of the C.C.W. issue this individual stands on. I'm sure he's vehemently opposed to the right of commoners to defend their lives against the predations of criminals.

[2nd Amendment]

The coyote population around here has taken a serious spike fairly recently, and they are not particularly afraid of people. We're gradually thinning the herd though, you could say. Mr. Williams would have a friggin' anuerism.

[tulsamal]

I have Jewish friends who have told me that commandment got screwed up in translation. Instead of "thou shalt not kill" it is really better said "thou shalt not murder." I don't think killing coyotes counts as murder.

And what do you want to bet this guy goes home and fires up the BBQ for a nice steak? He thinks that grows on trees.

I have a big coyote problem around here since it is such a rural area. And I shoot the buggers on sight!

Gregg

[R.H. Lee]

heh. San Jose is apparently entirely whacked. Look what the Mormon police chief is up to:
S.J. police chief to fast in Muslim outreach
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/9897461.htm?1c
How 'sensitive' of him. Maybe he can figure out how to use floor mats in police cars for prayer rugs. I wonder what kind of decisions he'll make with low blood sugar levels.

[Don Gwinn]

Good Lord. . . . I can just imagine two Muslims discussing this "outreach."

"So, whatcha think of the sheriff fasting?"
"Why would I think anything about the sheriff fasting?"
"Well, you know, he did it to show he likes Muslims."
"Yeah, but he's not a Muslim, is he?"
"Well, no."
"He gonna convert?"
"Well, I guess not."
"Then he's really just imitating us so we'll like him, kind of like a loser in junior high. He's basically mocking us, isn't he?"
"Maybe so."
"Well, seriously, dude, I like Christians OK, but if I started wearing a cross and fingering a rosary, who would that fool?"
:rolleyes:

[Preacherman]

But... I thought police were allowed to go fast!

:evil: :p :D

[stevelyn]

Somehow, I don't think that "thou shall not kill/murder" regardless of translation was meant to apply to coyotes.:scrutiny:

[JOE MACK]

It still just floors me at the stupidity of people who set up residence in the middle of the animals normal territory and blame the animal for doing what comes naturally. This is a big problem when "cityfolk" try to become "countryfolk." These are the same people that would insist on an opera house in Podunk, Idaho.:p

[Stand_Watie]

I have Jewish friends who have told me that commandment got screwed up in translation. Instead of "thou shalt not kill" it is really better said "thou shalt not murder." I don't think killing coyotes counts as murder

The original Hebrew uses a word that references what American English would consider both "first degree" murder and "manslaughter". The King James translators didn't so much screw it up as that they didn't want to only define the prohibition as being on 'murder' (which was by definition in 1600 English was only premeditated, deliberate, malicious homicide)and they assumed that no one would be stupid enough to think that it referred to animals, to self-defense or other legal homicide. More recent translations commonly use either "murder" or put a footnote in the verse denoting specifically what the Hebrew term for kill being used meant.

[Valkman]

That's too bad - around here you don't even need a hunting license to kill 'em. Just do it!

[El Rojo]

I wanted to hear your posts before I pointed out the obvious flaws in this council members logic."I shouldn't just go out and just eradicate the environment, that's just not a natural state of events because we were not given the power to do that," said San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams.Sorry Councilman Williams, but we were given the power to do that. That is why we have guns and the coyotes do not. We are the top of the food chain.And I feel strongly about life in the sense that, from a spiritual perspective, thou shall not kill, that's just a commandment that I live by.Where did you get that commandment squirrel? If you got it from the ten commandments, it has already been pointed out that it is thou shall not murder. More importantly, look at Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Guess what Councilman Squirrel, we not only have guns that prove we are at the top of the food chain, we also have the Lord telling us we can manage the creatures of the earth. You can't bring up some vague reference to the Old Testament and then ignore the rest of it.

I too think I would be finding some rather sneaky and clever ways to thin out the coyote population without getting caught. I doubt the rest of the idiots in that neighborhood are capable of fending for themselves. It is rather sad when a group of coyotes rules the neighborhood.

[Destructo6]

There are a ton of coyotes around here. I've probably lost 3-5 cats to them over the last 5 years. A few blocks over is the border of Chino Hills State Park, where they live in addition to various stretches of undeveloped land.

Honestly, there's not a whole lot we can do about them. It's urban enough around here that shooting them would be sketchy and they don't bother humans. Heck, they're only about the size of a Cocker Spaniel.

They are part of the character of this area. We have skunks by the dozen, too.

[reagansquad]

It seems to me that if you live in a gated community then public services, i.e. the local gov't getting rid of coyotes for you, should be off limits. It's not public property, it's not their problem.

[The_Antibubba]

After all, no one has joined hands and chanted yet! :D