And Now For Something Completely Different
I don't usually write about politics or law on this blog, but I feel like I need to vent. I'd like to start this with a disclaimer... I'm no expert on law, and I'm aware of a certain amount of ignorance on my part. With that said, I'd like to vent some frustration.
Recently in the news, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding an animal cruelty case. I won't tell the whole story, but some kids beat and tortured some animals. They have been fined for doing this, but some people feel this isn't enough. Some think that these boys should pay a bigger fine or be thrown in jail.
The other day there was a petition being passed around at the university and it was in regards to this case. The petition included the brutal details of the crime, and called for a more harsh punishment to be given to these kids. The petition went on to call for the dropping of a certain bill S-213 and adopting a bill C-50.
Well, my frustration is more about the person circulating the petition, than the petition itself (although, I don't agree with it). I told her that I like the idea of giving the kids a more harsh punishment, but I would like to know what the bills are about. She couldn't give me an answer. I did't mean to embarrass her or make her feel stupid, but I assumed that she would know these things, since she was having people sign this petition. By the time she got to me with the petition she already had about two pages of signatures. I just wonder how many people signed it without even knowing what it was about?
I get the feeling from a lot of university students, that they want to be a part of a cause (often controversial) that brings change, whether they know what they're doing or not. Now, if this girl would have answered me in regards to those bills, then I probably wouldn't have thought twice about the incident (not that I would've signed the petition, I just wouldn't have been frustrated by this encounter). This means that the people who signed it before it got to me, either knew the content of the bills already (and agreed, so signed) or were to embarrassed to ask (so they just signed it) or they just didn't care what the bills were (and signed). If someone would've asked her the question before she got to me, she would have been prepared to answer me, I would hope... But, she wasn't.
So, that explains my frustration... Now, I'll stand on my soap box for minute and tell you why I don't agree with the petition. I should say first, that my heart does break for these animals and what was done to them is very disturbing (and deserving of strict punishment). I would like to see these kids pay a bigger price, but I don't think changing these bills is a good answer. Bill S-213 outlines the law regarding animal cruelty. Bill C-50 is best explained by this excerpt (taken from the bill itself)...
Understand that my opinion in this matter is based on my belief that God has given humans dominion over his creation. If you don't believe this, then you will obviously disagree with me. If there is no God, and we have not been given dominion over his creation, then there is no reason why a dog should have less rights than I have. If you have an opinion about this, I'd like to hear it (If you think I've missed something here or my reasoning doesn't make sense, I'd like to hear your perspective on this).
I leave you with an excerpt from Genesis 1...
Recently in the news, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding an animal cruelty case. I won't tell the whole story, but some kids beat and tortured some animals. They have been fined for doing this, but some people feel this isn't enough. Some think that these boys should pay a bigger fine or be thrown in jail.
The other day there was a petition being passed around at the university and it was in regards to this case. The petition included the brutal details of the crime, and called for a more harsh punishment to be given to these kids. The petition went on to call for the dropping of a certain bill S-213 and adopting a bill C-50.
Well, my frustration is more about the person circulating the petition, than the petition itself (although, I don't agree with it). I told her that I like the idea of giving the kids a more harsh punishment, but I would like to know what the bills are about. She couldn't give me an answer. I did't mean to embarrass her or make her feel stupid, but I assumed that she would know these things, since she was having people sign this petition. By the time she got to me with the petition she already had about two pages of signatures. I just wonder how many people signed it without even knowing what it was about?
I get the feeling from a lot of university students, that they want to be a part of a cause (often controversial) that brings change, whether they know what they're doing or not. Now, if this girl would have answered me in regards to those bills, then I probably wouldn't have thought twice about the incident (not that I would've signed the petition, I just wouldn't have been frustrated by this encounter). This means that the people who signed it before it got to me, either knew the content of the bills already (and agreed, so signed) or were to embarrassed to ask (so they just signed it) or they just didn't care what the bills were (and signed). If someone would've asked her the question before she got to me, she would have been prepared to answer me, I would hope... But, she wasn't.
So, that explains my frustration... Now, I'll stand on my soap box for minute and tell you why I don't agree with the petition. I should say first, that my heart does break for these animals and what was done to them is very disturbing (and deserving of strict punishment). I would like to see these kids pay a bigger price, but I don't think changing these bills is a good answer. Bill S-213 outlines the law regarding animal cruelty. Bill C-50 is best explained by this excerpt (taken from the bill itself)...
I think it's very dangerous to move animals out of property crimes and into their own section of the criminal code. I just don't like the idea that someone could go to jail for killing an animal. I believe we should be good stewards of the things we have and this means treating animals in a responisible manner. I think a human life is much more precious than an animal's life (keep in mind, I'm a dog lover and my dogs have always been a part of the family). I can imagine a situation where a dog (or another type of animal) attacks someone's child... The parent kills the animal to protect the child and next thing the parent is in court defending himself/herself against a murder charge (or paying a huge fine)."The changes to the Criminal Code will mean that animal cruelty offences are no longer classified as property crimes. Animals will be treated as creatures that deserve protection in their own right because of their capacity to feel pain and suffer."
Understand that my opinion in this matter is based on my belief that God has given humans dominion over his creation. If you don't believe this, then you will obviously disagree with me. If there is no God, and we have not been given dominion over his creation, then there is no reason why a dog should have less rights than I have. If you have an opinion about this, I'd like to hear it (If you think I've missed something here or my reasoning doesn't make sense, I'd like to hear your perspective on this).
I leave you with an excerpt from Genesis 1...
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (NAS)
posted by Lee at 11:44 p.m.
1 Comments:
i wonder if any of the people who signed or the folks who wrote the bill eat meat. cause that is a cruel industry. i know i grew up on a farm. we butchered our own meat, but large farms ship cattle off to feedlots. by the time your meat (pig, cow, chicken, dog, sheep, horse, or baby seal) gets to your dinner plate that animal has been beaten and maltreated and abused.
i still eat meat even though i know this. not because i hate animals, i just like how they taste. also, i love veggies more. i would never be cruel to a veggie. so i don't eat them.
also, it is interesting that you can kill a fetus by sucking it into pieces with a vacuum or poisoning it because it isn't YET human, but you can't do the same to a squirrel - oh i hate squirrels. once i was attacked by a bunch of squirrels. they were after my nuts. i keep nuts in my pockets just in case i am in someones yard and they have a guard elephant. then i can reach in my pocket and feed them peanuts. then they will roll over and i can scratch their belly. elephants love that. they will be your friend and follow you home. it is always good to have a friend who is a guard elephant. they can stomp like a dozen squirrels at a time with their big feet -(don't point that out though, they are sensitive about their big feet)- but nonetheless they can kill a lot of squirrels. witch is good cause squirrels pack up and try to get at your nuts. and if they do that you can't make elephant friends.
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