Stanley: America's "Liberal Nutjobs"

Dr. Tim Stanley writes in The Sunday Telegraph:

In many European minds, America is run by religious fundamentalists and moustache-twirling defence contractors. So, for the sake of balance, it is good to be reminded that there are some real liberal nutjobs living out there too. And you won’t find a more liberal or nuttier city than San Francisco.

The San Francisco Animal Control and Welfare Commission has proposed a ban on the sale of goldfish. It says that it wants to discourage “impulse buys” and the farming of tropical species. Pet store owners say the proposal is “stupid”. Commission member Philip Gerrie replies, “They have a very strong interest to say it’s stupid. That’s the basic thing with human beings. We exploit everything in the world until it’s exhausted.” And what about the argument that goldfish are, when you think about it, just fish? “That’s how we are in this society,” Gerrie says. “Some people say, ‘It’s just a human’ – when it comes to some that kill. It’s a matter of degree. Where do you stop?”

Presumably quite a long way before “human beings”, as Walmart has no plan to start putting those on sale. The proposal will probably be kicked into the long-grass, as was the commission’s proposed ban on the sale of kittens and puppies last year. Other things the city has considered outlawing are MacDonald’s Happy Meals, supersizing in fast food chains and circumcision. Obviously, smoking in public places was stopped years ago.