The Demise of Professional Courtesy

This falls into the category of those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. Two types of people are required in order for such events to happen.  First you need a group of egotists who possess nothing that resembles common sense, who are firm in the belief that anything they conceive is good and can be implemented.  A second group is required. This group will go along with anything as long as they perceive an opportunity to get something for nothing, typically called democrats.

Massachusetts is talking about moving every rattlesnake in the state to an island in the Quabbin Reservoir, Relocate RattlesnakesWe’re talking 200 rattlesnakes. In Sweetwater, Texas four twelve year olds could capture that many and still be home in time for lunch.

Understand, the rattlesnakes aren’t doing anything to merit this attention. Massachusetts hasn’t recorded a rattlesnake bite since colonial times.  This move is for their own good.  If they had their own island nobody would mess with them. How does one explain that to the snake? Do these people know that rattlesnakes can swim?

swiming rattlesnake

This isn’t the first time Massachusetts has attempted to uproot an entire population from one location to another.  It has been tried twice before, both within recent memory and both were failures. Wikipedia will do:

Scollay Square

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scollay Square, Boston, 19th century (after September 1880)

Scollay Square, Decoration Day, 19th century (after September 1880)

Scollay Square was located at the intersection of Cambridge and Court Streets. It was named after William Scollay and in 1838 the city recognized the immediate area as the Scollay Square section of Boston. By WWII Scollay Square was the center for prostitution, bars, strip joints and related seedy activity.

In a scheme that began in the 1950’s but did not reach fruition until 1962.  The City of Boston, with Federal funding demolished the area known as Scollay Square and replaced it with Government Center.  It is now the location of City Hall, the Federal Courthouse and other government buildings. There are Bostonians of a certain age that still take perverse delight in referring to Goverment Center as Scollay Square.  

Combat Zone, Boston

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
 

In a demonstration of market forces at work. the peep shows, adult theaters, adult book stores, strip clubs and seedy bars moved to lower Washington Street, about a half mile from Scollay Square. It became the new center for prostitution, gambling and related activity and was known as the Combat Zone.
In 1974, in an attempt to contain the spread of adult businesses, the Boston Redevelopment Authority officially designated the Combat Zone as the city’s adult entertainment district. The city forced “adult businesses” to relocate to the Combat Zone.”

Everything went along fine until a Harvard student managed to get himself stabbed to death in a street fight.  At that point Boston was horrified to find that there was prostitution afoot and took steps to put an end to the Combat Zone.

The Combat Zone has now become gentrified, damned market forces at work again.  The whores returned to Scollay Square, or Government Center. I believe they are now called politicians and lobbyists.

Wildlife biologists estimate there only 200 rattlesnakes left in five different pockets around the state.  They propose to relocate all of them to one island location, for their safety.  Wasn’t that the rationale behind the Warsaw Ghetto?

I predict that this project will be implemented, not for the snakes but for the politicians.  The opportunity to steal and the amounts involved will be just to great to resist.  All at the expense of a rattlesnake that hasn’t bitten anybody since colonial times.  It is rumored at one time politicians and their ilk extended something called professional courtesy to fellow denizens of the underworld, but no more.