| Some stories are astounding. This one you have to believe is just an overly straight-faced attempt at sarcasm. But PETA mildly chastised (they still like his voting record) President O'Bama for swatting a fly. I respect a President willing swat flies, and then say "I got the sucker." If O'Bama carries the same stick in foreign policy (the key to foreign policy is a good balance of both sticks and carrots, and it might be a valid criticism that Bush that he wasn't very good at the carrot side, but so far we see little stick from O'Bama) or swats a sucker named Osama, his presidency may be considered a success.  Now you'd almost read this story about PETA complaining about the now infamous presidential fly swat and think PETA was being intentionally over-the-edge to inspire humor and get attention. But they're serious - PETA actually has the product described in their press release - a catch-and-release fly trap. And its trademarked in their larger catalog - they've been thinking about this for some time. PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside. "We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals." During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama's conversation with correspondent John Harwood. "Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead. "Now, where were we?" Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."
Catching and releasing a fly is like catching bin Laden and releasing him. Flies carry disease - often lethal. But its also simply a waste of time. I also admire presidents who prefer to protect themselves and others against malaria and other disease. If only he and the United Nations would fight to allow DDT in Africa, millions of human lives could be saved (ah, but billions of flies would die). |
