Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

January 3, 2009

A Lawrence, Kansas boy's fondess for iconic video game character Sonic the Hedgehog has led to a successful crusade to overturn a citywide ban on the critters.

KTKA-49 reports that Judson King, 11, decided three years ago that he loved Sonic so much that he needed to own a real hedgehog, but...

Lawrence's animal code has long prohibited the fury rodents in the city limits, a fact that didn't particularly upset Judson's mother.

"I thought, that's my out. Now I don't have to get him one. Then he said, 'How do we make them legal?'" mom Rebecca Weeks said.

Judson researched hedgehogs for three years. When he finally got a chance to plead his case with the Lawrence city commissioners late last year, they agreed with him and lifted the ban.


Comments

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Considering how young he was and how long he's been trying to get them unbanned, that's rather impressive. I'm sure he'll be a great pet-owner with that kind of dedication. No doubt he's already picked a name :P

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

what really strikes me about this story is how the first thought in his mom's head was 'how can i make it so he never gets a hedgehog?'

"that's my out. now i don't have to get him one."? who thinks this when their kid wants something as silly and small as a hedgehog.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

 Quick, hide the kid before Alevan finds her way in here and abuses him.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

*facepalm*

So uncalled for. Methinks I should send word to Dennis to look over your recent posts, DeoVIRUS.

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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

...kudos kid.  I was just happy with my Sonic plush I got when I was a kid.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

that kid is a badass.

=========================================================================== Jack Thompson is vanquished!!!

=========================================================================== Jack Thompson is vanquished!!!

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

I think the 'Awwww... what a sweet little kid' factor came into play to be honest, but nothing wrong with that :)

 

The whole mention of Hedgehogs reminds me of the UK's Monster Raving Looney party, who used to have a mandate of moving all road-crossing buttons to 1ft above the ground so that Hedgehogs could reach them. This, apparently, would help reduce the number of them being hit by cars every year...

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

i hope he doesn't make the same mistake a lot of people in my time did after watching things like TMNT and thinking that a turtle can come out of its shell.

or he's in for a REAL suprise :)

but then again he did some research, and the only reason it was overturned is probably because the politicians saw no reason not to and didn't even know why it was there themselves, and it also gave them something to do with their overpayed arses for a few minutes as opposed to just slandering things they know nothing off and sucking up tax dollars to pretend they know things.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Lawrence's animal code has long prohibited the fury rodents in the city limits, a fact that didn't particularly upset Judson's mother.

 

I'll assume that was supposed to be furry, I think this writer needs to do some research because hedghogs are anything but furry. That and they're not rodents... I guess it's too much to ask for "reporters" to do even five minutes of research on a story.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Heh. Fury rodents... sounds like a low-level D&D monster.

You enter the 20' by 20' stone chamber. Inside is a Fury rodent that attacks you for *roll* 6 points of damage. Make a saving throw versus rabies...

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

The hedgehog's default emotional state is enraged.

"

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

It's not a typo, they have fury!

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

That is indeed impressive.  Maybe we can get him to run the ESA next year.

"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde

"De minimus non curat lex"

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

How does one ban hedgehogs from a city?

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Loop-the-loops, spikes, and robots.  Lots and lots of robots.

---
The Mammon Industry

---
Fangamer

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

/internet

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

And water.  Hedgehogs can't swim.

 

"That's not ironic. That's justice."

"That's not ironic. That's justice."

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

xD

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

ROFL

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Security walls.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

The Chinese uses their great wall

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

I think someone needs to tell this kid that real hedgehogs aren't blue, can't talk, and don't fight evil robots.

But seriously, thats some pretty rabid fandom to go through all that just to own one of the little criitters. lol it'd be funny if after all that his parents said he couldn't have one ^_^

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

He studied them for 3 years so I really doubt he'd still believe they are blue.

Then again, perhaps he've seen too many cartoons where people being choked turns blue..

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

If the kid wanted a hedgehog, he could always use a Formula One racecar to catch it.

------------------------------

When Jack Thompson runs his mouth, does anyone really care what he has to say anymore?

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Crud, after searching high and low for the X-Play clip where they raced the hedgehogs, (Since that's what this story reminded me of) ... no dice.

Admittedly they were kinda fast... tho not quite up to Sonic's speed.

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Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/videos/10036/Shadow_the_Hedgehog.html?keyword_...

This is the episode, but not the race.  The start of it, and then scrub to 3:30, and play from there.  No other footage I can find.

Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls

Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

why the hell were they illegal in the first place?

Hedgehogs? Come on! They're like spikey hamsters. I can understand pet Rats or something, but Hedgehogs?

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

 Not sure exactly... though looking around a bit, hedgehogs have actually been quite troublesome in some countries that they were not native too... Something like they started multiplying but had no natrual predators to control the population and as such they ended up eating to much. Sometimes introducing foreign animals into a new environment can have negative effects...

The fear of such a thing is the only reason i can see for banning hedgehogs from the city competely...

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

I agree with you on the hedgehogs but I don't think pet rats should be illegal either. They clean themselves six times a day, they aren't escape-artists like hamsters are, and if they do happen to get out, they'll be nearby because they're territorial and will want back in their cage.

岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」

岩「…」

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

The only reason I can think of is because there are no native species of hedgehog in North America.  Perhaps that city didn't want them getting loose and introducing a new species to the habitat.  However, most domesticated species don't like cold climates and don't hibernate, so it's not likely they'd survive out alone in most of the States, anyways.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

You'd be amazed. Look up quaker parrots sometime.
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I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.


---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Wow, i'm surprised a 14 year old was able to convince them like that! I wonder how many politicians held it against the kid that he was moved into doing this because of a video game...xD

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

He's eleven.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

-Mouth drops- Chirp chirp. and you thought i was the rabid sonic fan(I owned serveral sonic Games) comon can someone hit me with a gravity hammer(from Halo 3) right now

America has just became its own version of the Jerry Springer Show after a bizarre moment in Florida involving a carnival worker.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls

Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Me and my roommate use to call that Halo baseball... though never thought to actually use grenades with the hammer...

frankly, i was always disappointed we could never get halo jousting to work out

of the things we would try out when we got board of actual Halo

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

awesome! my brother and I did something similar with the warthog, tho this looks like more fun LOL

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Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Now, he's going to get it and realize that he doesn't want it because it's not blue and can't run faster than a cheetah.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

I think that after researching them for 3 years he MIGHT just already be aware of that.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

Let's just hope the kid takes good care of it.


If you go crazy then I will still call you Superman.

Re: Youthful Sonic Fan Gets Ban on Hedgehogs Overturned

That is awesome.

 
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NyuRenaYou nailed it James! Yikes..06/18/2013 - 1:56pm
james_fudgeWith MS willing to share with the government, an always listening device should give everyone pause.06/18/2013 - 1:37pm
james_fudgeyou can't turn off the Microphone on the Kinect and it has to be plugged in. It's not rocket science.06/18/2013 - 1:35pm
E. Zachary KnightThe Humble Bundle Guys just don't like me having money in my pocket do they? https://www.humblebundle.com/06/18/2013 - 1:12pm
E. Zachary KnightCMiner, I know that my Android camera is off unless I am using an application that turns it on. Same with the microphone.06/18/2013 - 12:38pm
CMinerCan you turn off the camera on an iPhone? Like, -really- turn it off, not just change a setting that -tells- you the camera is off?06/18/2013 - 12:13pm
james_fudgewhen they make it a requirement, yes they are06/18/2013 - 12:10pm
CMinerI just don't think Microsoft bears any more (or less) responsibility for privacy with its Kinect camera than do the makers of laptops or smartphones with integrated cameras.06/18/2013 - 12:00pm
ImautobotThe ability to operate the console without the camera is key. It's a peripheral, not directly integrated into the console, and yet it behaves as if it is. Thankfully I don't have kids, and won't have an Xbone either.06/18/2013 - 11:49am
CMinerOh, I agree that the decision to make the kinect mandatory/always listening is terrible.06/18/2013 - 11:48am
E. Zachary KnightCMiner, and the easier the provider makes to do such things, the better. The fact that the XBone will not even funtion without it plugged in and turned on in some fashion makes a world of difference from a PC Webcam.06/18/2013 - 11:38am
CMinerIt takes steps on the user's part to ensure 100% privacy (unplugging, uninstalling, putting tape over it, not putting it in the kid's rooms, etc)06/18/2013 - 11:29am
CMinerMy point is that no webcam producing company can guarantee that no one will ever ever ever be able to access video from that webcam without your knowledge and permission06/18/2013 - 11:28am
E. Zachary KnightOf course at that point, you are still opening up yourself to Windows zero day vulnerabilities and back doors that they are happy to share with the government before Windows users.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
E. Zachary KnightCminer, I don't because I wipe the OS and reinstall something more secure, Linux. Even still, just wiping the OS and reinstalling Windows fresh removes all the bloatware PC companies install.06/18/2013 - 11:26am
E. Zachary KnightI agree that the Kinect requirement of the XBone has my civil liberty senses tingling. Just another nail in the coffin for me.06/18/2013 - 11:25am
E. Zachary KnightHonestly, I wouldn't put anything with an integrated camera in my kids' rooms. You are just asking for trouble. Of course, I am not a fan of having tvs/videogames/computers in kids rooms in general.06/18/2013 - 11:24am
CMinerIn the case of integrated webcams on laptops, do you have the same concern that people at Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc might be spying on you?06/18/2013 - 11:24am
E. Zachary KnightI love awesome indie devs. Incredipede is free if you run linux! http://www.incredipede.com/linux.html Thanks @ColinNorthway You're the best.06/18/2013 - 11:23am
ImautobotMore creepy is that the Xbox Camera can see in the dark. Now we're in Buffalo Bill territory.06/18/2013 - 11:21am
 

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