Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron: A War Crime?

Among the various issues that the Virginia General Assembly is tackling in its annual session is dogfighting. The topic became a national story last year following the arrest and eventual conviction of Micheal Vick. It also brought unwanted attention to Virginia since that's where Vick dog breeding operation was taking place. Now legislators are considering various crackdowns on dogfighting, and debating the best way to outlaw the practice.

This is an unfortunate and dangerous overreaction. Maintaining the legality of dogfighting is essential to the national security of the United States.

What are we supposed to do if President Bush turns out to be right? Suppose the terrorists really do end up following us home if an unpatriotic Democrat President withdraws our troops from Iraq? And suppose the terrorists decide to follow us in vintage World War I biplanes? The only way to defeat them will be to utilize the very same dogfighting techniques we used against the German air force 90 years ago.

If we outlaw dogfighting, what's next? Banning waterboarding? Prohibitting CIA interrogators from yanking out prisoner's fingernails with pliers? Eliminating naked human pyramids? Where do we draw the line? When does it become too much?

For the sake of America, let's keep dogfighting legal. Do it for our children. Do it for Snoopy.