“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”

- The Dalai Lama

Sometimes you can read an article in the paper and not think twice. Other times though a story comes along that really gets under your skin and festers for a bit. Take what's happening up at Hoopes Park. A couple of weeks ago a group of evil kids thought it would be a good idea to stone a mother duck to death. A horrific story that makes me sick to hear about but the tragedy doesn't end at the waters edge. No, another plot twist has arisen that makes me wonder not just about the sanity of those cruel kids but the state of our community in general.

You see, after the story broke about the killing, the city manager, in an act that proves not all politicians are heartless, decided to give the remaining ducklings a leg up by letting them stay, rent free, in a building at the park.

Now, if this was a book, we'd be able to close the cover and go about our lives. And the ducks? They would have lived happily ever after. But alas, that's not the way things work in the real world, or at the least not in Auburn anyway, because instead of living carefree lives dining off bread thrown by visiting families and swimming around the park, the DEC wants to pull a rendition on the little birds and take them to “parts unknown.” (As if Guantanamo Bay didn't have enough prisoners already.) And why? Because, without a state and federal permit, it's “illegal” for the city to house migratory water fowl.

Can someone please take the time to explain to me why it is that we now need permits to do the right thing? Is this really what we've come to? What happened to trying to do something nice for the less fortunate? I foolishly thought the only thing you needed a special permit for was for carrying a gun.

With this type of logic in mind does it now mean we have to start invoking a five day waiting period before we help an old lady across the street, or perhaps we'll have to begin performing background checks on anyone who wants to hold the door open for us? Not that I'm supporting breaking the law but would someone actually take that case to trial? And heaven help you if you lost.

I can only imagine the awkward conversations you'll have in prison as you try to tell the overly tattooed convict next to you that you're doing five to 10 for helping someone get their cat out of a tree.

Look, I totally understand that laws are here to help us but, when a law hurts those trying to help, then maybe it's time to loosen up on the legislation. In the mean time let's just let the ducks enjoy their summer because come fall, we can shoot them, well, if you have a permit that is.

Bradley Molloy's column appears here, each Sunday, in The Citizen. He can be reached at lovonian@hotmail.com