Man sues university over tradition that he says kills children

Man sues university over tradition that he says kills children

A man is suing the University of Nebraska over its practice of releasing thousands of balloons during football games. Why? He claims that latex and strings from the balloons harm wildlife and the environment and kill children who choke on the deflated balloons.

Randall Krause claims in his lawsuit that the university is contributing to the destruction of wildlife and likely violating federal laws governing the disposal of waste and trash when letting loose balloons at Nebraska Cornhusker football games.

“Either in pieces or intact, all of the balloons eventually come back to earth. On earth they become a hazard to wildlife,” Krause wrote in a letter to the university.

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“Birds, turtles and other animals commonly mistake balloons for food, which can harm or even kill them,” his lawsuit claims. “In addition, many animals can become entangled in balloon strings, which can strangle them or hurt their feet and hands.”

Krause has also asserted the ribbons on the balloons can lead to the death of young children, as they tend to shove the wayward ribbons in their mouths, causing them to choke and suffocate.

While he did not give any specific evidence of children dying from the school’s release of balloons in his letter, Krause may have been referring to consumer safety group claims suggesting balloons are the leading cause of child suffocation — to be fair, nearly any object small enough to fit inside the mouth of a child younger than 8 years old is a choking hazard.

He is demanding the school ban the release of mass balloons he says cause destruction to wildlife.

The university has not responded to the lawsuit, or the validity of Krause’s claims, but university spokesman Steve Smith did state it is “worth noting that every balloon released in Memorial Stadium is natural latex biodegradable. Also, the balloons are tied off with 100% cotton strings.”

But Krause is unconvinced, saying the ribbons are not biodegradable and can affect more than 50 species of bats, birds, rodents and turtles.

Over the past 500 years, there have been 77 mammal species and and 140 bird species that have gone totally extinct, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Many of the species being killed off were located on islands, and were therefore more likely to be rendered extinct by invasive species. For example, Hawaii has hemorrhaged nearly 70 species of bird since human contact occurred in the isle, a number dwarfing the extinctions in the rest of the world.

This report, by Chris White, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.

LU Staff

LU Staff

Promoting and defending liberty, as defined by the nation’s founders, requires both facts and philosophical thought, transcending all elements of our culture, from partisan politics to social issues, the workings of government, and entertainment and off-duty interests. Liberty Unyielding is committed to bringing together voices that will fuel the flame of liberty, with a dialogue that is lively and informative.

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