When in Rome...

Don't be mean to goldfish:

[T]he plight of the little goldfish is especially harsh. The tiny creatures are scooped into plastic bags and awarded at carnivals and fairs. They are confined to bowls where they can do nothing but swim around and around. Some (it has been claimed) go blind.

No more. The municipal government of Rome has entered waters where few city halls dare tread. Under a new ordinance, the city's goldfish are entitled to a proper, full-sized aquarium, and they can no longer be given out as contest prizes.

The rules were drafted by the city of Rome's Office for Animal Rights. The 59-point statute ordering better treatment for all pets, from cats and dogs to birds and lizards, was approved by the City Council last month and will go into effect today.

I really don't want to know how they're going to enforce this. And, yes, PETA has such a thing called the "Fish Empathy Project." I'm sure it's well-meaning, but it sounds a tad silly, doesn't it? They were also the ones who tried to get the town of Fishkill, NY, to change their name, not realizing that "kill" is actually the Dutch word for "creek."

Mind you, it's not that I have any propensity for abusing or harming animals; after all, one should have respect and empathy for all living things (the hornets in the front bushes are on their own, however). Still, I'd like to see more efforts to prevent cruelty to other humans. Once we can get that figured out, then we can worry about the animals.