Robotic Groundhog? Just Teach Him To Dance

AP – FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2009 file photo, John Griffiths, a handler of the weather-predicting groundhog …

PETA proposes robotic groundhog for Pa. festival - Yahoo! News

Wed Jan 27, 9:25 am ET

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – An animal rights group wants organizers of Pennsylvania's Groundhog Day festival to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robotic stand-in.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it's unfair to keep the animal in captivity and subject him to the huge crowds and bright lights that accompany tens of thousands of revelers each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, a tiny borough about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. PETA is suggesting the use of an animatronic model.
But William Deeley, president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania." The groundhog is kept in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture.
Deeley says PETA isn't interested in Phil from Feb. 2 on, and is looking for publicity

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Hey! I'm not sure what's worse in this story - that people want to replace the groundhog with a robot or that his care is compared to that of children. Oh, pluzzzeee! Get a life people! If you have nothing better to do than worry about Punxsutawney Phil's quality of life, then maybe you need to get a grip and spend time on something worthwhile. Such as aid to Haitian earthquake victims, for instance? Or universal American health care? Or how about the many people who are willing and able to work, but can't find a job? Or can't make a livable wage at the job they can find? Now, what would happen if they fire poor Phil too! I wonder if he could apply for unemployment benefits?

I find the statement that the groundhog is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania" quite disturbing! Not that I have anything against Phil. It's not like I'm advocating feeding him to hungry coyotes or anything. Hey! I think he's doing a fine job. As fine as most weather men that I've ever seen. I'd guess that he's right about 50% of time when it comes to whether or not we'll have those six more weeks of winter each year. Yet, here is an important point I'd like to make. He is not a human being. He is not a child. HE IS A GROUNDHOG! I'm not saying it would be right to, for instance, beat-him-with-a-stick-until-his-little-rodent-self-is-a-pile-of-mush. I just don't think he should be getting better care than any child. Then, again, that's why I'm not a member of PETA.

In the meantime, instead of replacing him with a robot, let's just teach him to do the robot.

Oh, yeah! Spectacularly rad!!!

Until I type again,

Kami

(Link to source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100127/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_peta_punxsutawney_phil ) ============================================================ Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/