This party sucks

My understanding of cats is that they are natural born hunters; they like to chase things and play with them but it's up to momma cat to teach them the killing blow.  I don't know if cats will learn to kill on their own, maybe they will if they get hungry enough.  Feral cats are a special kind of problem in that they can wipe out local bird population.  Nowadays it's common to spay and neuter cats (dogs, too) but according to my mom a surprise litter of felines was never welcome and they were dispatched, sometimes mercifully (car exhaust) and sometimes not so mercifully (drowning).  Life on a farm can be brutal.

One thing I remember from the times I visited the various farms of my aunts and uncles is that neither the cats nor the dogs were allowed inside the house.  Except for extremely rare exceptions, such as illness, they were strictly outdoor animals.  They had their own little houses and shelters and were well fed but never ventured further inside than the porch.  I am not sure if that was a typical practice but it's a good way to keep fleas and ticks out of your living room.

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Maybe some political parties issue cards while others don't but otherwise Mr. Beagles nailed it.  You aren't a member of the party until your name is on the membership list, according to the bylaws of the Cook County Democratic Organization.  From Section I, Article II I found this: A member of the Cook County Democratic Party shall be any person registered to vote within Cook County, Illinois who volunteers, contributes to, supports, advances the interests of, or participates in the activities of the Party and who requests to be added to the membership list and who further demonstrates the suitable attributes of character, judgment, and commitment to the principles, vision, programs, and policies of the Cook County Democratic Party.

Whew!  You really have to buy into their program, what with that talk of character and judgement.  Maybe if you're too honest they won't let you join.  I can't see the point of the average voter joining the party  but if you're a lawyer, businessman, or aspiring mover and shaker it could be a way up the ladder to riches and power.  Connections will be made, alliances will be forged, and as is often the case in Illinois, they will meet again in prison.