Letter: Banning cockfighting is stealing from local culture, tradition

Robert Wilson

The cultural sport of cockfighting is indigenous to both CHamorus and Filipinos and has been since Spanish times. The people of Guam support the locally licensed sport.

Hundreds of indigenous families on Guam raise sporting roosters in their yards and the tradition is passed on from one generation to another. Neighbor competes against neighbor, village against village. The sound of early morning roosters announcing the coming dawn is part of local race, heritage, tradition and island culture.

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The United States Congress is committing a cultural crime against the Guam community and other areas that consider this sport as part of their culture and tradition. No less than the 10th Amendment of the Constitution leaves states' rights in place.

Congressional interference with the rule of law, local tradition, and indigenous, cultural and antique practices is abhorrent. If Congress wishes to change the 10th Amendment it should either take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court or proceed with a constitutional amendment that nullifies the 14th Amendment and allow indigenous and cultural decimation by law, not legislation. Biba CHamoru!

Robert Wilson is a resident of Tamuning. 


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