While you readers know I usually steer clear of politics, Senate Bill 1221 has me in a dither.

If passed, hunting bear and bobcat with dogs would be banned, and it would set a precedent that would likely extend to all hunting breeds, since that appears to be the goal of the Humane Society of the United States.

When I heard about this for the first time on television, I knew the only source of information broadcasters used was from the anti-hunting fanatics.

The news made it all seem rather hopeless, as if the bill had already passed. And I’m not the only one who thought so. Another local hunting family was under the same impression.

Well, I decided to sit up and pay attention, because it doesn’t matter whether you have a coonhound, a bird dog or a plain old house hound.

The fanatics and the city-slicker politicians they have on leashes already banned the hunting of mountain lions, dogs or no.

They write the bills and push them through the Legislature with one hand while the other is busy bombarding television stations with lots of scandalous video clips and shocking tales that have nothing to do with the reality most of us experience.

Sadly, that’s all it takes to get the just-as-ignorant voters of big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to act just the way they are driven to, like cows to the slaughter.

But who can blame them? They are conditioned for such behavior from childhood in the weird societies they are raised.

My own grandson was born in such a place, right smack in the hometown of bill author Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was born in that same town.

The hospital was newer this time around, though, and no nuns in long black habits wandered in and out of huge wards.

In the cafeteria of this new hospital was a sight so typical of the city mentality.

A mural wraps around the dining area in the beautiful jewel-tone hues of nature in the springtime; but on a double-take, the sight was anything but.

The impossibly green woodland was lush with trees and softness; smiling bears frolicked with each other among pink and purple petunias. Yes, that’s right, petunias and smiling bears. Can you see it?

So I ask you readers who enjoy working and recreating with your hunting breeds to take action.

It’s not too late yet, even though it passed the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and has now moved over to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Pressure needs applied in steady doses to prevent it going farther and possibly coming to a vote, like the mountain lion fracas did.

The appropriations committee will be concerned with state money.

To help, write or call committee members and talk about the number of hunters and fishermen who have moved out of state because of actions like these; decisions made outside the California Environmental Quality Act that was supposed to assure decisions like these would be made only after study and public review with the best available science and diverse input, not just a popular vote.

Quantify your statements with the millions of dollars decisions like these have meant in lost taxes for the state and license revenue for the Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

Tell them how the decline in DFG revenues is directly linked to this type of politics, and if it continues, they’ll have to figure out another way to pay for agency scientists and wardens, because there won’t be enough of us left to justify their paychecks anymore.

Visit outdoorheritage.com and click on SB 1221 in the left column of current affairs.

There are helpful links at the bottom of the article, one to a sample letter and the other to a list of the 17 appropriations committee members, with mailing addresses, phone and fax numbers.

To email them, go to assembly.ca.gov, click on members and use the list above to scroll down to each committee member and use the link to contact them.

The committee is comprised of 12 Democrats and five Republicans. Historically, it’s been the Democrats who support actions like these, so get busy and pick up your pen and your phones.

Either that, or just sit back and let Los Angeles and San Francisco do whatever they want. Enjoy pipe dreams about living in the State of Jefferson.