Outrage and heartbreak.
That pretty much summed up my emotions — and most Emporians’ — upon hearing the news of the killings at David Traylor Zoo earlier this summer.
On June 22 two black swans and two cereopsis geese were bludgeoned and left for dead, not to mention the damage done to the property in the midst of the spree. Several weeks later Andrew Vincent Rodriguez, 11, and Angel Ray Rodriguez Jr., 13, two of the three boys being accused of the crimes, were brought before Lyon County magistrate Judge John Conklin for an arraignment. And next week they will face Judge Lee Fowler for a hearing.
If, in fact, the boys are found guilty, it’s likely that at some point a discussion of penalty will be on the table. Unfortunately, under Kansas law sentencing for juveniles can be wide-ranging. And it could be as simple as probation.
My hope is that it is not.
Rather, if these boys are guilty as charged, our county government is obligated to serve them a lesson they will never, ever, forget. And not just because it is fundamentally inhumane to allow cruelty and abuse toward animals, but more importantly because of what it could mean for the futures of the abusers.
The boys’ attorney, Don C. Krueger, said he “would like to think this is an aberration.”
It’s not likely. But even if it were, statistics don’t offer much hope:
According to a study done by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Northeastern University, “animal abusers are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against people and four times more likely to commit property crimes than are individuals without a history of animal abuse.”
Furthermore, study after study shows that violent offenders have childhood and adolescent histories of repeated animal cruelty.
Take these, for example:
• Brenda Spencer, who opened fire at a San Diego school in 1979, killing two children and injuring nine others, repeatedly abused cats and dogs by setting their tails on fire.
• Patrick Sherrill, who killed 14 coworkers at a post office in 1986 and then shot himself, had a history of stealing local pets and allowing his own dog to attack and mutilate them.
• Earl Kenneth Shriner, who raped, stabbed and mutilated a 7-year old boy, was known as the man who strung up cats and put firecrackers in dogs’ rectums.
• Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, who killed 13 women, trapped dogs and cats in boxes before shooting arrows through them.
• In 1987, three Missouri high school students were charged with the beating death of a classmate. They had histories of repeated acts of animal mutilation starting several years earlier. One confessed that he had killed so many cats he’d lost count.
• Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had impaled dogs’ heads, frogs and cats on sticks.
• Kip Kinkel, 15, of Springfield, Ore. and Luke Woodham, 16, of Pearl, Miss., both tortured animals before embarking on shooting sprees.
• Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Kliebold, 17, who shot and killed 12 classmates at Columbine High School in 1999 bragged to their friends about mutilating animals.
The David Traylor Zoo killings were certainly horrific and unthinkable. But clearly, it could be a whole lot worse.
My hope is that if these boys are found guilty, our local jurisprudence takes the opportunity to teach them a lesson now — and not wait until the casualties involved are even more heartbreaking.
Please, make the penalty count.
Comments
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Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on August 15, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree that these boys shouldn't be let off with light punishment. Cruelty to animals shows a lack of compassion in general. Without compassion for others, what is to stop a person from committing more and worse crimes? A friend told me she read that you have to learn compassion and empathy by age 5. I can only hope it's not too late for these kids to learn why what they did was wrong. I'll be praying for them.
Posted by TacoBellB (anonymous) on August 15, 2008 at 4:48 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on August 15, 2008 at 8:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
TacoBellB I'm wondering how you know that this happened if that information is SUPPOSE to be confidential. And why are we taking this to be such a HUGE problem. Ok they did it now what? Give them the death sentence? I understand and I think as well that it was cruel, cold and disgusting but I honestly dont believe it should be taken to this extent. I think there are almost the same amount of stories about this as there is the Kent Trial.
Posted by Bjnemp (anonymous) on August 15, 2008 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Destiny: What!! You said "why are we taking this to be such a HUGE problem?" Did you not read the article above and the facts therein? These fledging criminals need to learn a tough lesson before they resort to torturing and killing larger, two-legged victims. At the very least, they need a few years in a penal institution rooming with some bad boys who will give them a dose of what they dished out to those defenseless animals. Sorry, Destiny: if you condone this kind of abhorrent and anti-social behavior, or think it unworthy of severe penalties, then you are part of the problem and in need of some priority adjustment.
Posted by create (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's unbelievable that anyone would even think to say, "Ok they did it now what?" Yes, this is HUGE when you think about what is involved. You can't just dismiss this with a "boys will be boys" attitude. That is denial in its purest sense.
It would be of interest to find out what kind of behavior these kids have displayed at school. Perhaps that will come out in court. One poster had even said that one of these kids had been in constant trouble at school involving bullying with a piece of broken glass.
I hope you will take the time to read the following bit of information. It's long, yes, but under the circumstances, important with regard to something called "Conduct Disorder." At the very least, these boys need mental help. Continued on next post...
Posted by create (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 8:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Documentation follows.
"Children and adolescents with conduct disorder are budding psychopaths. They repeatedly and deliberately (and joyfully) violate the rights of others and breach age-appropriate social norms and rules. Some of them gleefully hurt and torture people or, more frequently, animals. Others damage property. Yet others habitually deceive, lie, and steal. These behaviors inevitably render them socially, occupationally, and academically dysfunctional. They are poor performers at home, in school, and in the community. As such adolescents grow up, and beyond the age of 18, the diagnosis automatically changes from Conduct Disorder to the Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Children with Conduct Disorder are in denial. They tend to minimize their problems and blame others for their misbehavior and failures. This shifting of guilt justifies, as far as they are concerned, their invariably and pervasively aggressive, bullying, intimidating, and menacing gestures and tantrums. Adolescents with Conduct Disorder are often embroiled in fights, both verbal and physical. They frequently use weapons, purchased or improvised (e.g., broken glass) and they are cruel. Many underage muggers, extortionists, purse-snatchers, rapists, robbers, shoplifters, burglars, arsonists, vandals, and animal torturers are diagnosed with Conduct Disorder.
Conduct Disorder comes in many shapes and forms. Some adolescents are "cerebral" rather than physical. These are likely to act as con-artists, lie their way out of awkward situations, swindle everyone, their parents and teachers included, and forge documents to erase debts or obtain material benefits.
Conduct-disordered children and adolescent find it difficult to abide by any rules and to honor agreements. They regard societal norms as onerous impositions. They stay late at night, run from home, are truant from school, or absent from work without good cause. Some adolescents with Conduct Disorder have been also diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and at least one personality disorder.
Source(s):
Read more about psychopaths - click on these links:
http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydiso......
http://samvak.tripod.com/personalitydiso......
Find additional articles about personality disorders here - click on the links:
http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faqpd....
http://www.narcissistic-abuse.com/faq82....
http://open-site.org/Health/Conditions_a......
http://personalitydisorders.suite101.com......
Posted by Emporiafan (anonymous) on August 16, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I can tell you I don't want my kids sitting next to these monsters in school...or on the bus...on a playground...if it does turn out they are found guilty and did in fact do it....
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