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On June 16th, the Many Shades blog will be closed.
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Thursday, August 13, 2009

The Moose

By A.J. Llewellyn

Just when I think we're all hunkering down, forced by world circumstances to learn to appreciate the small details in life, counting our blessings and blah blah blah...I read these horrible stories of sickening animal abuse that blow me away.
Just this week, the one out of Newfoundland, CA, about three boys beating a moose calf with sticks is just unfathomable.
They beat the poor, crying calf so badly its screams were heard for miles. He had to be euthanized...and this is not an isolated incident.
When did we become such a cruel race?
Last week, I read about a couple who went to Brazil and posted photos on Facebook of their delicious meal...they'd trapped, killed and barbecued an endangered iguana.
Mmm...tasty.
All of these people face fines and possible prison terms, but the damage and the deaths...they can never be undone.
I have a friend whose husband hunts and it's one of the things I find hard to accept in him. He says he is a Christian and is fond of telling me the bible says man has dominion over the animals. I think the interpretation of that means we have a duty to treat them with dignity - not torture, beat and kill them and then show it all on Youtube.
Youtube may be a blessing in disguise, really, with this week's offerings of a wildlife official slapping a live dogfish and hurtling into the sea. Oh yeah, there's also a so-called conservationist posting his illegal duck-hunting tape on there.
Genius!
What about the cat torture tape last year?
Yes, people post cruel acts against other people (bum beatings, the weird girl fights from last year) but animals have no voice. Except to cry, unheeded when they're in pain.
A man witnessing three mid-teen boys stomping a two-day old fawn to death in Dorset, England, last week, described the horror of what he saw.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8096324.stm
The police officer who arrived on scene said in 23 years he had never seen anything as barbaric or as horrendous as this crime.
"We're talking about three boys who took a defenseless, two-day old wild animal and kicked it to death. Frankly, putting them through the court system and fining them is of no benefit. They need serious, long-term professional help.
"What worries me is what will they go on to do next?"
Good question.
What worries ME is the moose calf case in Canada. Despite adults witnessing the event and telling the police what happened, some have recanted their stories!
Why?
Do they think the media scrutiny will change their behavior?
I hope they realize these kids probably will not stop. What's next? A small child? An old lady?

Aloha oe,

A.J.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is so disgusting. There was a video posted the other day, some guys were shooting ducks/ducklings on a pond. The video went live, and there were 100's of tips leading to their arrest. The just got released on bail, waiting for their trial. What disgusts me, is the charge? Hunting out of season.

Lynn Crain said...

As bad as it is with animals, I remember a story when I was younger about the murder of a young woman in an apartment complex. Everyone heard it, some even witnessed the act BUT not one person came to help. Not one.

As bad as the acts are themselves, and they are horrible to say the least, it makes me wonder just what are the people who watch these events thinking.

I have a definite line on what is right and wrong. Killing anything is never right in my book. Except maybe the spider who startled me awake in the middle of the night. It took a chance when it did that in the first place...LOL...but seriously, just where is that line of right and wrong with these people?

Have we gone so far down that dark path we aren't teaching our children the difference any more?

I so adhere to George Carlin's theory and have said it myself many, many times. One day, this earth is going to shake us off like the pack of fleas we are. We are small and insignificant in the scheme of things. We have no right to be as cruel as we are.

I hate to say this, but maybe if someone took a bat to the people and kids who so viciously hurt and maim animals, they'd never do it again. There is something to be said for harsh penalties sometimes.

Lynn

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