To Jaiden's Mom

[RaspberrySwirl]

Responding to Jaiden's mom's comment about having great kids that love their bunnies...

It is wonderful to have a child like that. Just the other dayI was thinking back to when my19 year old son was a smallboy. We had a boy in the neighborhood who was very cruel toanimals. He'd shoot birds, squirrels and rabbits with his bee-bee gunjust to watch them die. Catch snakes and turtles and then take themapart.I came from a family of hunters/sportsmen, but you eatwhat you kill and you don't torture animals. One day I caughthim in MY YARD holding tiny little toads under the surface of the kiddypool until they drown. I flipped out and told him NEVER tocome back. So, he stood out in the street and stuck firecrackers intheir mouths and blew them up instead. My son was so distraught, Ican't even begin to explain. I often wonder what happens in ahome that creates a child like that? I can tell you that this kid wenton to be kicked out of numerous schools and has had a lot of problemswith the law - big surprise- Those are the kind of kids thatwalk in and shoot everyone in a McDonalds....

Animals teach humans so much.

 

[m.e.]

The FBI has found that a history ofcruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appear in itscomputer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standarddiagnostic and treatment manual for psychiatric and emotional disorderslists cruelty to animals as a diagnostic criterion for conductdisorders.

A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCAfound that people who abuse animals are five times more likely tocommit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates scheduledto be executed for murder at California’s San Quentin penitentiary“practiced” their crimes on animals, according to the warden.

from http://www.helpinganimals.com/a-abuse.html.

~M

 

[LuvaBun]

Wow, Raspberry, I bet that kid turns out to be aserial killer - what a horrible child! I agree that children can learnsuch a lot from animals and it warms my heart when I see photos likethe ones of your daughter and Sebastian and Dobbyru's daughter Jaidenwith Cookie. A few years ago we had a little boy live near uswho wanted to hit a hedgehog with a spade to kill it. I managed to getthere first and ask him 'Why?'He shrugged, and I went on to say wouldhe like to be hit with a spade, and that animals had feelings and feltpain too. A few weeks later he knocked on my door, with a hedgehogwrapped up in his jacket. He had found it and wanted to help it. Iswear, you could've knocked me over with a feather. His parents hadnever shown him how to respect any creature, and there again, I thinkthat is why your girls' are so compassionate - 'cos their parents careabout animals. Sowell donetoyou

Jan

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Jan, I too have hadsome life experiences like that.A person oftenwonders if whatthey do makes a difference, and then like yousaid, you got that knock on your door and now you will always know thatchild is changed forever because of something YOU DID. You gogirl!

m.e. - I've seen that kind of info ontelevision specials. It creeps one out! I think ifI get out of my car at the local grocery store and see this boy, Iwould definitely get back into the car...

 

[m.e.]

My parents raised us all to be very humane andcompassionate towards animals (of course, their plan might havebackfired a wee bit as we brought hom one rescued animal after another)

Anyway, this past summer, I was a counselor at a weekend camp my littlesister attended, and at the waterfront, there were a great deal offrogs.

Little kids + frogs= you see where I'm going with this.

Well, I did my best to make sure the frogs were not being toodisturbed, too roughly handled, etc. But my little sister (who's 10, bythe way), was right over there in the middle of the kids, lecturingthem on proper care of frogs, and rescuing the ones she felt were notbeing treated properly. Needless to say, I was proud (and I'm not evenher mom).

It is amazing though, to see the difference in attitude and behaviorbetween children who have been raised to show compassion, and those whohave not. People think it's not that big of a deal, but I guaranteeyou, it is. If you can't teach your child to care for something smallerand more helpless than he is, what will he care for?

~M

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Awesome attitudem.e.! I bet those who love you are very proud ofyou! You will be a good Mommy some day!

 

[dobbyru]

Raspberry, thanks so much for thispost....After reading about the neighborhood boy thattortured small animals, It really makes me appreciate havinga kind, animal-loving daughter even more. I remember when iwas a child there was a neighbor that acted very much like the boy youspoke of. One day he picked up my siamese cat, MissKitty, and repeatedly flung her against the garage door. Miraculouslyshe wasnt injured..... I always wonder what kidsthat harm animals for the fun of it end up being like as grown ups.

 

[u8myhouse]

My brother was one of those animal hurting kidswhen he was little. He's 24 now, and he has 3 very spoiled cats... Gofigure. He does like to threaten to cook my rabbits though. But otherthan that he's grown out of it.

~Christine~

 

[Loz n Ebony]

Ive never heard about people like that. Imean I new there were people that did that kinda thing but Ive nevermet anybody. Its sad. realllllllly sad.

 

[Lissa]

When I was in high school,I dated a kidthat did weird and gruesome things to animals. Where do kidslearn that? Animal cruelty ison the top of my petpeeve list. I'd set fire to a human before I wouldever touch an animal.

 

[Lissa]

Ooops...did I just say that out loud. :shock:

 

[Carolyn]

Couldn't agree with you all more about the kids that are cruel toanimals have a very dark future. I'm with you, Lissa, on what youuttered 'accidentally' out loud.

Generally speaking, I like animals better than humans.

I sincerely wish there was a "No Tolerance Law" against animalabuse/cruelty, child abuse, and rape. I truly wish that the thingsothers do to another would be done unto them. Perhaps not in this life,but when we meet our Maker, who knows what He/She has in store for usall.

-Carolyn

 

[Lissa]

Carolyn wrote:

Generally speaking, I like animals better than humans.

Amen!

 

[LuvaBun]

No fear Lissa, I'm with you. My ex boss thought Iwas mad 'cos I said that I thought animals should have the same rightsas people. He was always joking about what a waste of timethey were and were only here for us to use or eat - needless to say, Ileft!

 

[Stephanie]

Wouldn't it be great if what these inhumanmaniacs do to helpless animals is done to them in turn? Then maybe theycan see how it feels to be beaten and abused by someone who outweighsthem by over 100 pounds. I have no tolerance for abuse of any kind.

Ok, going to stop before I get all riled up here. lol

 

[rabbitgirl]

My brother, when he was very little, used toabuse the kitty. Strangled him, etc. etc. He was so little he didn'tunderstand why the kitty wasn't just like a stuffed animal--it was sosoft.... Anyway, the cat loved him and went limp when he carried itaround by the neck--go figure!

Now we have another cat, and he ("all grown up" at age 16)andshe (age 10)have the strangest relationship....he teases,annoys, grabs, rumples, and infuriates her. She hollers and "swears" athim, and finally kicks and claws her way free--and howls at his dooruntil he does it again! He doesn't hurt her, actually is really gentle,but he knows exactly what annoys her, and she keeps coming back formore! He's very affectionate with her too, and she sleeps next to himat night.

I think she just likes the attention, plus she's really stupid!Although she was been known to play the piano and sing to wake him up(yes, seriously!), then run over and hammer on his door, yowling to getin. And pretty soon she's spitting at him and yowling to getout....then in....then out....then in....well, I said she wasn't toobright!! Anyway, she loves him in a weird way.

I do believe what taught him animals have feelings toowas thetime he met his Waterloo in a huge white cat we were catsitting. He wasabout five years old, only a little older than the "stuffed animal"phase. He teased and teased that cat as only a 5-yr-old can, untilfinally ol' Samson had enough. He turned around and swatted that littleboy all around the house, and when Nate ran and hid, Samson stalked himlike an avenging Nemesis. Nate was hiding in the bathroom, Samsoncrouched outside, waiting for the really big two-legged mouse to comeout. Nate was begging for mom to save him, and she said "You gotyourself into this one!!!" (We were all dying laughing at this point.)So Nate makes a bolt for the stairs, with Samson in hot pursuit. Themassive cat made a dive for him and sank his teeth into the butt ofNate's pajamas and hung on!

Needless to say, the lesson sunk in far better than any deterrent Mom could have come up with! lolololol

Now he's a big softiewith Midnight, despite the constant squabbling!

Rose

 

[Rowan]

This topic's got me thinking all over again abouthow lucky I am with my daughter who is one of the most lovingcompassionate souls I've ever met. But then she grew up right frombirth surrounded by terminally ill cats - I often take in cats thatno-oneelse wants to care forwho need to live thelast of their lives as happily and well loved as possible, so she hadto grow up extra gentle and careful withthem. Now she rescueseverything she possibly can, and her best friend is the same. There area lot of good people out there as well as those really sick characters.It's a shame though that kindness and compassion isn't taught alongsidemaths and english, the world might be a much better place.

 

[Lissa]

LuvaBun wrote:

Nofear Lissa, I'm with you. My ex boss thought I was mad 'cos I said thatI thought animals should have the same rights as people. Hewas always joking about what a waste of time they were and were onlyhere for us to use or eat - needless to say, I left!

You so sound like me. Hehe!

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Rowan, that's anadmirable thing you do. Thank you for choosing something thatmakes a difference. (especially from those of us who don'tdeal well with hairballs!)

 

[Rowan]

Thank you Raspberry Swirl

You have such a good and generous spirit, reading your posts certainly makes a positive difference to my life