THE MEDUSA FACTOR

Why didn't we cut off Medusa's head before she poisoned AKC, strangled our right to breed dogs, and turned leaders into stone?

March 2017 update

Barbara "BJ" Andrews, Editor-In-Chief

Medusa was a terrible monster who, as a beautiful maiden, dared to challenge the spectacularly beautiful Athena.  Now that was a mistake because Odysseus, the king of all warriors was Athena’s patron and in addition to being the epitome of beauty, Athena was very wise.

Therefore she appealed to Odysseus to turn Medusa’s vanity against her, changing her beautiful ringlets into hissing serpents.  Medusa was furious.  There she was, like a sore looser at a dog show except now she had a head full of snakes!  Medusa was so damn ugly that no person could look upon her without being turned into stone.  In fact she became so evil that the great warrior Perseus was called upon to kill her.

Not lacking in battle strategy, he approached Medusa while she slept.  Taking great care not to look directly at her, Perseus sliced off her head and presented it to Athena!  Medusa thus became immortalized in mythology and art.

Cool eh?  So what does Greek Mythology have to do with the dog sport? 

Well, more than a decade ago we faced PAWS legislation ^[1] with all its writhing ramifications - so ugly that people were afraid to look at it.  It is as though PAWS turned them into stone, petrified with fear, seemingly unable to fight the Pet Animal Welfare Statute. Fearful of not advancing in the sport of dogs, they lined up with other statues outside the dark cave where Medusa lives.  Quaking in their leather sandals, the cowardly leaders refused to see PAWS as a monster with many snaky tentacles connected to AKC. 

Thus it was that dog breeders found no person within their ranks who could defeat Medusa!  I tried to explain that her head just needed to be severed but with those snakes looking out for her, no one wanted the job.  Legend has it that if we name each snake, they become vulnerable but to do so we must look closely at them.

Oh c'mon, I’m game, how about you?  There's too many to name them all but we don't have to be a biologist to get the worst of those snakes tagged.  Grab your 20/20 hindsight.  See?  There’s the most poisonous one on the right.  Its fangs are already sunk into every facet of our lives.

Its cold scaly body is nothing more than a skeleton. Yet it is wrapped around our common sense, constricting ever tighter to squeeze the very breath out of our Constitutional rights.  It slithers unseen into our homes and following the path of least resistance, burrows into our judicial system and classrooms.

Yes, this one is very dangerous so we will name it Politics. 

There’s another one, right in the middle, its beautifully colored body weaving to and fro.  The serpent invites us to come closer, promising to soothe our need to stand out among our peers, hissing its message softly.  This one we know as American Kennel Club.  Look out!! Don't get too close. Stay back but look carefully and you will see lots of little Dog Clubs caught in its coils.

Wow!  Would you look at that green one! It's the one that Medusa pets the most because it enacts her most outrageous thoughts.  You can tell by its color that this snake is the richest, the prettiest, and the most insidious of all.

Obscuring its real agenda, it is constantly writhing with need.  It is therefore called the Humane Movement.  Some dog people call it Animal Rights, some call it PETA, others call it HSUS.  Whatever...  It's stuffed full of greenbacks but always hungry.  Hypnotic but like the Cobra, it is deadly when it strikes.

Perseus!  Is that you?  What?  Speak English!  Many warriors?  You say it will take many leaders who have no fear?  You say we must have an army, that this is not ancient Greece, it’s the 21st century?  You slew Medusa but not before she delivered her slithery brood?  Okay, so that explains why her offspring are still here and growing stronger every day...

Wait, is that Athena we see?  It must be she, her beauty is beyond description!  Sssshhhh, what is she saying?  Ah, yes, yes.  Of course.  I get it.  Why it’s so simple! Thank you Athena, yes, I’ll tell them. 

Okay, here's the deal.  The Goddess of Wisdom (and war) says Medusa is a multi-faceted monster that has her fangs deep into our society but that we can disarm her. We start with those snakes watching out for her.  Athena said many warriors, each with a special sword, must cut the snakes off, one at a time, right down to Medusa's hideous scalp.

OK, just as I thought, we start with Politics.  Those snakes are slinky and treacherous so we will brandish the voting sword and cut right through them, showing no mercy.

Athena assures us that politicians are weaklings who cannot rise high enough to strike without support.  Super!  So we just chop them off at ground level.

Dog Clubs?  Easy!  Although they are many, they are within our reach and control.  The Goddess of Wisdom says those dog clubs not too deeply rooted in Medusa will welcome an opportunity to wriggle away from her.

We show them the same sword of authority and if they opt to stay rooted in her head, whap!  We lop them off and be done with it. 

Now the last one, the Animal Rights "Humane" Movement.  The Goddess of Wisdom whispered that this may be the worst of Medusa's snakes because it is entwined with Politics and most people can not tell the difference.  She says their insidious movements must be exposed and then she whispered "If you do not feed the Humane Movement it will wither and die from lack of food."  Makes sense to me, I can see why she is so wise.

Athena says if we brandish the sword of Righteousness and do these things, the three ugliest snakes will forsake Medusa and golden tresses will grow in their place.  She whispers, "Medusa has finally put aside her vanity and would like to be rid of her headache."   

Sounds doable to me.  We have an abundance of warriors among us, accomplished at in-fighting.  If they would be willing to serve something other than Ego, we could seize power and re-direct it at the real snake-in-the-grass, uh, hair.

So who can organize a political force to stamp out Medusa and weaken her supporters so that subversive legislation can never rise up to strike at us again?  Who?  Do you have the courage to demand your dog club state its position and then require your Delegate to vote the wishes of the club, in a public roll call? 

That'll work.  Then if the American Kennel Club fails to rally behind dog clubs, we can summon Athena, this time as the Goddess Of War.  She wields a mighty sword to help us rise above fear and intimidation.  I've seen  it.  In fact she let me take a photo of it.  Trust me on this.

I'm sure you agree it is politically correct to recognize snakes that poison our society.  To stand above intimidation and "the way it is" whether in dog club politics or as 2016 showed us, in national politics.  We can defeat the Medusa factor, the snake in the grass that pretends to be "animal rights" but has no concern for animal welfare!  We will be heroes, real gladiators when we stamp them out!

Will you and your dog club join us in writing to the networks, radio stations, and politicians?  Will you insist on the truth about "animal rights" that really is about destroying YOUR rights?  The sword is mighty but the pen (computer!) is much more powerful.

Let us hear from you.  Together we will implore the Powers That Be, including AKC and the Goddess Athena.  She has the Sword Of Truth and the Power of Perseus…..   Me?  I’m for standing up to the Medusa Factor and I have not yet turned to stone.  What about you?

First published Sept 2005

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