Duck, Duck, Hypocrisy

In 2013, a NH State Rep from Nashua generated huge outrage when he killed some ducks with his car. 

WMUR all but had a sound truck parked out in front of his house. There were daily reports. 

https://patch.com/new-hampshire/nashua/state-rep-accused-of-running-down-resident-ducks-at-crowne-plaza

https://www.wmur.com/article/rep-david-campbell-pays-695-fine-for-hitting-ducks/5187267

It became a national story:
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/04/duckgate-the-best-political-scandal-of-the-year.html


There was even an investigation by the AG's office

https://www.nhpr.org/post/ag-no-charges-campbell-or-pappas-duck-incident#stream/0


And of course, there were the perpetually outraged libertea boys of granite grok:
https://granitegrok.com/blog/2013/12/representative-david-campbells-own-duck-dynasty

They were so incensed that they even referenced the hunting season for ducks:

Ducks are not in season for Nashua. The season for ducks was October 2 to November 3, and November 19 to December 15 for inland areas and October 4 to January 5, 2014 for the Coastal Zone. Nashua “ain’t” in the Coastal Zone. So the ducks were taken out of season.

That's what makes this latest legislative animal killing story so interesting. 

None of the outrage is present. Rep. James Spillane, shot a squirrel on his birdfeeder with a 50 caliber muzzleloader, and posted the result on social media. Apparently this was a manly thing to do, and he felt compelled to boast to his manly friends, about his manly squirrel killing act. 

https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/deerfield-state-rep-booted-from-fish-game-committee-after-i/article_3358fdad-42ff-51e3-baaf-1833556824e9.html

Minority Leader Dick Hinch was infuriated. Not at the conduct of a member of his party, but at the removal of Spillane from Fish and Game:

"Removing Rep. Spillane from the Fish and Game committee for a minor infraction is heavy-handed and I'm disappointed that the Speaker chose to take this action," he said. 

It's unfortunate that the Speaker did not give Representative Spillane the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting to discuss the issue, or even a warning for that matter. In the future, will members of the Transportation Committee be removed for minor infractions such as a speeding ticket?"

Not a very good analogy, Dick. There's a big difference between a speeding ticket and shooting an animal out of season, posting a photo and bragging about it. 


Spillane was on the Fish and Game Committee at the NH House, which made all this just a little more embarrassing. *NOTE the link below contains the squirrel photo taken by Representative Squirrel Hunter. 

https://www.concordmonitor.com/State-Rep-Spillane-killer-of-a-squirrel-ousted-from-committee-26633533

We learned that there is such a thing as squirrel hunting season in NH, which made Spillane's conduct even worse for Fish and Game, where they spend time encouraging sportsmanlike conduct: 

The tweet prompted a complaint to the state Fish and Game Department, which sent officers to Spillane’s home to tell him he did not have the legal right to kill the squirrel outside the hunting season, which runs from Sept. 1 to Jan. 1. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/lawmaker-removed-from-committee-after-shooting-squirrel/2019/06/28/7ef46162-99df-11e9-9a16-dc551ea5a43b_story.html?utm_term=.10833199b899


The outrage machine, however, is strangely silent. 
In fact, those who were outraged in 2013 are now defending Rep. Squirrel Killer. Over at granitegrok the boys decided that Spillane getting kicked off Fish and Game was a violation of his free speech rights! Their 2013 concern for hunting season wasn't even mentioned. In fact, their poutrage was diversionary whattaboutism, concerning a host of other, non-related incidents. After all, something a legislator they hate said a few years ago is bound to be justification for a legislator they love to kill a squirrel. Or something like that. It surely couldn't be.....hypocrisy. 

https://granitegrok.com/blog/2019/06/nh-speaker-of-the-house-removes-state-rep-from-committee-for-expressing-free-speech#comment-4523356043

Oh, shucks. I forgot to mention that David Campbell was a Democrat and James "squirrel hunter" Spillane a Republican. Kinda looks like outrage in NH leans far to the right.