Animal cruelty

TO THE EDITOR:

According to recent information in the local news media and reports in the Texarkana Gazette associated with various animal cruelty cases, perhaps Texarkana will evolve from being known as “Twice as Nice” into being categorized as “Twice as Cruel.” More accurately stated, however, is that it is clear that the incidents of acts of violence on animals continue to rise, not just locally but nationwide. The larger picture is that lack of self-control, disregard for life ( in any form), unbridled anger and explosive rage, and the absence of a moral compass drive far too many people to commit such heinous, irreversible acts.

Notorious serial killers, school shooters, and domestic abusers historically have had a connection to violent tendencies in their pasts that included the abuse of animals. One could site many research studies devoted to the connection of violence toward animals and the abuse of humans. However, research alone will not help or remedy the pathetic and unthinkable acts directed towards the weak, the helpless, and those gentle souls who are powerless to speak. They have no voice, and whether they suffer the abuse elsewhere in the country or right here in the place so many call “home”, they deserve and need your support, voice, and action.

As a citizen and a decent, caring, responsible human being, you should feel a need to urge your local law enforcement entities, judges, prosecutors, legislators, and community members to take this issue more seriously. Your voice needs to be heard loudly and clearly; you need to encourage, support, and insist that the punishment for such crimes be harsh, swift, and consistently applied to all of those who dispense horrific acts towards the voiceless and vulnerable. You need not ignore potential signs of such abuse and report them, and the recipients of those reports need to have the backing of a legal system that will send a message that there are stiff consequences for such reprehensible acts against animals.

Every responsible adult, citizen, and community member should have a moral conscience that dictates action and change for the sake of those who are in need of help. “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”—attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Paula Smith Texarkana, Texas