Ya, I know I'm a hick, but I found this funny...

I was just watching the news, and they were reporting a story about a run-away steer (basically a male cow that's no longer male for those of you less agriculturally friendly individuals) in Layton today. I really wish I could have found the article on the station's website, but I couldn't find it when I looked. So I shall tell the story myself.

Apparently they were trying to load the steer into a truck when it escaped into the neighborhood. They spent well over an hour chasing the animal, bringing in the cops to assist them. Personally, I don't think they needed the cops (who were all carrying loaded guns I might add). I understand that people from the city have no idea what to do with a large animal like that, but honestly, the guns were not necessary. They called the cops in to help them because they were afraid of the damage the animal might do to the area,or to any residents that might have been in it's way. I think the guns the cops were carrying (and occasionally firing in the general direction of the steer) were more dangerous to the residents than the cow was. Cows are stupid. They are scared of people. They run from you, they don't attack you. All you have to do is wave your arms and yell and they will bolt.

Having grown up in a small town, and having practically lived with cows in my backyard for my whole life, I found all the commotion this caused to be rather ridiculous. They called in at least 4 cops, with their guns, to do a job that I have done myself on numerous occasions with nothing more than a few sticks to hit the cow with when it refuses to move and the help of a few of my elementary school aged cousins. IT'S A COW! IT'S NOT THAT HARD! Sometimes you just have to be smarter than the big dumb animal and use your brain to manipulate it into where you want it to go.

Really, I just find it ironic that the 'city folk' needed to freak out about one stinking cow and call the cops. What are they gonna do? Arrest it? Around here, something like that is a weekly occurance, and certainly nothing worth getting on the news. Usually there are more than just one of them, and we handle it just fine. The cops around here have better things to do, like busting all the college kids for illegal possesion, speeding, and things of that nature. We don't need to bother them just cause a few cows (or sheep) got out of their corral. We aren't that inefficient and helpless.

This is yet another reason to go on my list of why I like living in a small town. At least we try to use a little common sense once in a while.