Dog torture and armchair activism

[bitspike]

I don't remember if this had been posted here, but in New South Wales (Australia) on October 20 a "seven-month-old fox terrier puppy" was tortured and killed by two men. They have been charged and are awaiting sentencing

Comments

[socraticomatic]

This case confirms my worst fears about what humans are capable of and what atrocities humans are actually committing in the world, the kind of fears and knowledge you have to suppress day-to-day just to function socially and not be angry at humans all of the time

[seaofzen]

Actually, anyone capable of this is showing early signs of sociopathy, and could be capable of the serial killing of humans. In fact, from the sounds of it, one of them initiated the idea, and the other jumped in on it. I wouldn't be surprised if one who cut his wrists didn't do that just to have his soundness of mind questioned for the purposes of a mental institution being far more appealing than jail

[bizwac]

Actually, anyone capable of this is showing early signs of sociopathy, and could be capable of the serial killing of humans.

I believe that is what socraticomatic is saying, but also that the news articles don't actually spell it out, so people don't realise that it isn't 'just' killing puppies, but can be a sign of things to come (against humans). I wish the news would say it. Then people may be up in arms about this kind of behaviour, if only to protect humans from similar acts from these people.

[seaofzen]

Yeah, I know, but I was just elaborating and differentiating the crimes to further support the disturbing point

[bitspike]

I wish the news would say it, too, but at the same time I feel that they shouldn't need to. Not that the connection to sociopathic behaviour towards people should be 'obvious' or anything. I just feel that acts such as these should be viewed as the extreme atrocities that they are by themselves, that what happened is never excusable and worthy of equal punishment for similar crimes across species boundaries, rather than as 'a sign of things to come for the one species which actually matters'.

But, realistically, humanity is still a long way off from being able to view non-human animals in that way. That's what I find the saddest about this whole thing.

[zebrallama]

+1