Anti-chicken elitism in the court of public opinion

[Theda's Mom]

I mentioned this on another thread, and will mention it again here. Instead of focusing solely on the small, town-by-town, precinct-by-precinct campaigns (which need to be done, don't get me wrong), it seems to me that BYC afficiondos (and we're a large and growing population) should consider organizing a more systematic educational effort. We could strengthen - and broaden - our influence by allying with the sustainability groups: for instance, the slow food movement, the food-with-a-face people, Carol Moseley Braun, and though I personally think she's a bit looney, Alice Waters. We've already got a radio station! (Right, Chickenwhisperer???). Agrarian Studies at Yale - the director of which is a HUGE proponent of sustainability and who sponsored a conference on chickens in human development several years ago - would provide another kind of platform.

It just seems to me that a large-scale, well-organized, and thoughtful education program would make local campaigns to change zoning laws so much EASIER!

My two cents.

 

[fowltemptress]

You live in Plano and you're surprised by the snobbery? I had to grow up in that area as a child, and let me tell you . . . if Barbie Dolls were living people, they'd all live in Plano. Plastic and fake, and I have no clue how I survived it. If you do manage to change the laws regarding chickens in Plano I will bow down at your feet, because you will have truly worked a miracle.

P.S. I know there are great people in Plano. The OP's existence proves that . . . but its reputation for uptight snobbery is pretty well known. When we moved to an area near San Antonio people would ask me if it was true that people from Plano would dictate how long you could keep your fingernails if they could. Well, yes, yes they would.

 

[txredneckmedic]

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Davaroo...Id have to agree with you. I love being white trash. People may talk about us...but we have some of the best fun around and its all about friends and family. We all know we dont have alot but we enjoy what we do

 

[Davaroo]

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Davaroo...Id have to agree with you. I love being white trash. People may talk about us...but we have some of the best fun around and its all about friends and family. We all know we dont have alot but we enjoy what we do

Amen, brother!

 

[NatalieB]

I happen to live in a Rural farm town. I knew nothing about raising chickens until I had the desire. Luckily, no one cares I have chickens and roosters. I was unaware of the great benefit and fun, addicting nature of it! It is about educating people who know nothing about it. Most people snub their noses to things they don't know or understand. We do need to use the BYC resourses to help others who need it. Do we have a journalist amoung us? Constant doses of chicken "feeds" (sorry bad pun!) would educate many. Keep up the good fight.

 

[Rillion]

Plano watches Dallas, the root of 'chickendom'

(Any pro-chicken comments on this article-- blurb, really-- would be more than welcome, by the way. No registration required.)

 

[Rillion]

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I certainly take your point! I knew there were snobby people in Plano, but I didn't know they were that snobby. I mean, it ain't Highland Park. It is a pretty big place though, and there are plenty of mansions....but also plenty of just normal family neighborhoods, like you'd find anywhere. When we moved into this house the family two doors down brought us a chocolate cake, for pete's sake-- we were floored. I was happy to move here, because the previous place was in Lakewood which is charming and close to a lot of nice restaurants, but you don't want to leave your car on the street. My car window had been smashed twice there while visiting a friend's house. The guy across the street from us had the entire contents of his pickup-- tools, mostly-- stolen while he had just stepped inside for a minute. Moving to bland suburbia was kind of a relief, especially since both of my brothers live here with their families.

The possible good side of snobbery is that there are a lot of "green" snobby yuppies, even here. They shop at Whole Foods and the farmer's markets, buy all organic even though it costs more, and drive hybrid cars. If these people can be convinced that having chickens is part of the movement to fashionably save the environment, then I think they could be sold on it.

 

[fowltemptress]

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Lol . . . That's where my brothers lived after the divorce, and where I had to spend many Christmases with a grandmother. Don't they allow chickens, though? The people there may or may not be more snobby, but they always seemed less concerned with their neighbor's affairs than people in Plano.

That's a really good approach that I had completely forgotten . . . going for the greenies. Of course, I think I saw a comment where they questioned why people couldn't just go to the farmer's market if they were so concerned with healthy eggs and happy chickens. I wish there was a way to round up all the dissenters on a bus and take them on a city chicken tour . . . touring all those homes to see how perfectly adorable coops can be, and how well kept and clean people keep them. Some coops on here I couldn't immediately recognize as being coops without very close inspection. Those anti chicken people are clearly suffering from a lack of exposure, IMO. My own SO was very wary of getting chickens . . . not that he dreamed of stopping me, but he was bracing himself for filth and stench. Whenever people come over now he loves to take them out to the coops and say, "Smell that? I don't either!" For some reason he thinks it's the coolest thing that chickens don't stink. The smelliest thing in our backyard are the piles my two little terriers leave everywhere.

 

[Whispering Winds]

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They'd have to change D.C. regulations to do it.

Whether the Obamas could join the ranks of chicken fanciers may be a more difficult question. The District of Columbia does not permit backyard chickens, said Michael Rupert, a spokesman for the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

But if they did, how cool would that be? The president of the United States raising chickens?! How could any snob sneer at the idea after that?​

Do you think IF the Obama's decided to add a few chickens to their garden, it would change the laws pretty quickly? Be funny to see this take place!!

 

[valereee]

Why can't you? That's exactly what we're doing here, and we're using the local farmers' market to do it. Talk to your fm manager. See if they'd be willing to promote a Tour de Coop one day during market -- people can attend market, get the map of all the "Open Coops" that day, and then go visit a few coops.

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