The West is Burning, and we Fiddle

A 66 year old great- grandmother and pet shop owner in England has been fined 1,000£ and ordered to wear an electronic bracelet for two months of house arrest. Her crime: selling a goldfish to a 14 year old boy, violating an animal welfare law that prohibits the sell of pets to persons under the age of 16. The prosecution of Joan Higgins cost taxpayers 20,000£. The wearing of the electronic bracelet will also stop Ms Higgins from babysitting her grandchildren, and other social functions.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is illegal to sell pets - including goldfish - to children under the age of 16 unless they are accompanied by an adult. Pet shops must also provide advice on animal welfare to buyers.

The maximum penalty is imprisonment.

This is how insane the West has become and how dangerous bureaucracies and big governments are. A law is enacted about the sell of pets and suddenly the purchase of a goldfish by a child is placed on the same level with the purchase of a pit bull, a boa constrictor or a python. Goodbye decision making by children and parents; hello bureaucradaddy.

Just a few comparisons on crimes and punishments in England as published by the Daily Mail and that sheds light as to the priorities of an insane society:

Something to ponder about.  Can a British chef be sent to jail for preparing fish n' chips?