Court rules against Brasstown’s New Year’s Eve ‘possum drop’

Posted on by Bill Rhodes

In what has become an annual legal event, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals again sued the organizers of Brasstown’s ‘possum drop’ event.

This year’s result was a little different. A ruling from Judge Fred Morrison said, in part, “Hunters must afford wild animals the same right Patrick Henry yearned for: ‘Give me liberty, or give me death!’”

The lawsuit this year focused on the permit issued by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to Clay Logan, owner of Logan Corner Store and organizer of the event for the last 19 years. “The Commission,” wrote Morrison, “had no authority to issue any permit to Logan for the unlawful public display of a native wild animal.”

Logan vowed to continue the drop, although without breaking the law.

Brasstown may be a little quieter this New Year’s Eve.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Court rules against Brasstown’s New Year’s Eve ‘possum drop’”

  1. Jeff

    Bill, I don’t know what sort of critter you’ve got in that photo there, but it ain’t from around here.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.