Personally, my journey with cockfighting started when my  brother introduced me to the sport. It was a legal activity then, a source of joy shared between us. But with time, as regulations changed, we lost the ability to participate. Not only did we lose a beloved pastime, but I also lost a crucial link to my late brother who introduced me to this world. Cockfighting, contrary to popular beliefoften provides better living conditions for the chickens involved than those destined for our dinner tables. In some cases, these game chickens can live beyond 20 years even the losing chickens as not all fights end in death! Also chickens are not forced or trained to fight at all, they simply do it because they choose to! We lock humans in cages and watch them beat on each other knowing it could kill them but are above watching an animal do the same? 

Moreover, legalizing cockfighting could introduce a significant source of tax revenue, helping boost our national economy. A similar situation was seen in Puerto Rico, where cockfighting was a $100 million industry and provided over 27,000 jobs until its ban in 2019. Furthermore, this sport had been historically accepted, an example of this acceptance can be seen from the fact that no less a personage than Abraham Lincoln engaged in it.

In a world where human conflicts and wars are ubiquitous, the quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln resonates, "As long as the good lord allows civilized men CREATED in HIS image to fight wars and KILL each other while the civilized WORLD stand by and WATCHES it's not my place to deny the lowley chicken!" These fights are no different than the aggressive displays witnessed in nature and by banning them we lose a part of our cultural heritage and personal freedoms. The principle of ensuring rights for all must encompass the age-old practice of cockfighting as well. Sign the petition if you believe in preserving tradition, personal freedoms and the potential financial benefit derived from the legalization of cockfighting.