EDITORIALS : Still Waiting
Posted on Friday, August 22, 2008
When it comes to the law, there are offenses that are wrong only in the technical, legal sense, such as driving 61 mph in a 55 mph zone. The law sets a standard, and one either complies or doesn't, but there are no further moral implications to the basic act of disobedience.
Then there are other laws, the kind that codify offenses not just against the peace, health and welfare of the great state of Arkansas, but also set a standard of moral behavior that the state and decency demand. We're talking about behavior that's not just ille gal but wrong by most anybody's understanding.
The severe cruelty some people have it in their hearts to commit against animals deserves inclusion on this list. Despite what some opponents of anti-cruelty legislation would have you believe, we're not talking about creating laws to send anyone to jail for stepping on a bug, or that would put the entire Tyson family behind bars because they've prospered in the destruction of countless heads of fowl.
Instead, imagine someone so heartless that he might tie a horse to the back of his truck, then drag the animal down the road. Or someone disturbed enough to skin a live cat. Or someone thoughtless enough to shoot a prize horse multiple times.
In many cases, dogs, cats and horses more closely qualify as family than many of the human beings we have the pleasure of knowing. Maybe it's because we actually get to know the family pets. Maybe it's because we "get"that they have personalities and identify with them on a very personal level. In any case, the thought of somebody harming these "family members"is almost physically sickening.
Intentionally injuring or destroying anyone's family pet would never even occur to most of us. You know why ? Because doing so would be morally wrong - way worse than, say, cheating the government at tax time. Most humans realize this and, not surprisingly, don't even think such thoughts. But some, Lord help them, carry out cruel acts that defy understanding.
Morally wrong actions that do harm to the natural order of things do not deserve a slap on the wrist. They deserve serious attention in our courts, if for no other reason than to rein in acts of cruelty that, one can argue, may portend future acts of violence against human beings. We tend to think violence against animals is enough to support stricter laws, but if one needs further justification, there it is. All this seems as though it would be obvious. But the push for tougher animal-cruelty laws - i. e., the potential that they would rise to felony status - has made little progress in Arkansas, at least in terms of laws on the books. As of August, animal cruelty remains a misdemeanor offense in Arkansas. That's a terrible joke. A sick joke. Just about every other state in the nation has seen the light on this issue. Why is that ? Why is it so hard for Arkansans to slap behind bars the type of person who would commit a crime like this ? Obviously, there are a lot of people in the Natural State who depend on the beef / poultry industries for their incomes and don't wish to see any harm befall them. We also want nothing of that sort. But animal-cruelty legislation can be written so that legitimate agricultural activities are protected without giving cover to the heartless thugs committing violence against animals. Sadly, the only other thing that helps explain why Arkansas hasn't made crimes against dogs, cats and horses a felony offense is that enough family pets haven't yet died an inexplicably awful death. Would it really take something so awful to drive home the point that tougher guidelines in this area of the law are not just a good idea but required ? State Sen. Sue Madison, DFayetteville, wants to make these sorts of crimes a felony on the first offense. We support completely her efforts to come down hard against those who seemingly enjoy killing dogs, cats or horses in an "especially depraved"manner. We believe Madison will overcome past hurdles in the upcoming legislative session and finally get this bill on the books.
- Northwest Arkansas Times
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