What's Wrong with Killing Dogs?

So it's a federal crime to be mean to dogs? Who knew?

What's wrong with what Michael Vick did? I have no inclination to do what he did with dogs, but I have no comprehension of what all the fuss is about. Most people who are upset about killing dogs or letting them attack each other have at some point in their lives caught a fish, which is as extreme a form of murderous torture of an animal as I can imagine. Not only have most of them caught a fish, they have actually eaten many more of them than they've caught. Which is weirder, killing an animal or eating its dead flesh? Most of us have never eaten dog meat, but in some countries it is a delicacy. Is there something evil going on in those countries? Are they violating the natural order of things? Should we invade them or get the UN to intervene? They are killing and eating dogs for god's sake!!!

What is the moral basis -- the natural law, if you will -- that accords special respect and protection to dogs in our written laws? And how does that same natural law allow for fish being clubbed to death on boat decks if they haven't died already from the hook-in-mouth trick we so enjoy pulling on them?

Our reverence for dog life resembles our reverence for human life. Up to a point. It's okay to kill your dog if you think your dog is too sick to go on living much longer or if you just can't afford medical help for your dog. And, don't worry, no legal authority is ever going to ask you to prove that your dog was really sick enough to kill or even sick at all. If you don't have the stomach for killing your dog yourself, you contract with a dog killer -- otherwise known as a veterinarian -- to do the dirty work for you. No federal law against that yet. Our dog reverence is so shot full of loopholes that there is no describable moral order to it at all.

Americans revere horses too, but it's okay to shoot your racehorse in the head in public if it so much as breaks a leg--something I saw the first time I went to a racetrack. And it's more than okay--politicians consider it a leadership demonstration--to hunt. Shoot 'em, kill 'em, cook 'em, eat 'em is the American way for a lot of pretty birds and every four-legged animal other than dogs, cats, and horses.

Between bites at McDonald's today there will be a lot of outrage expressed about Michael Vick getting off easy. I won't understand a word of it.

Comments

[SisterAnn]

For years, our humane society drowned animals that weren't adopted out. It saved the price of putting them to sleep.

There was a public outcry when it became known and it stopped.

Everyone should find out how the animals are put down at their humane society.

A lot of people see animals as a form of a plant, but they shouldn't.

[SisterAnn]

You can add bull fighting to your list. Then there are the cows and pigs that are slaughtered every day. I lived on a farm and saw many examples of caring and feelings in those animals.

Worse than anything is boiling lobsters and turtles alive. I hear they are good, but I will never know, because I won't eat them.

Rooster or Cock fights are even worse. They add razor spurs to their feet to make the fights bloodier.

It is odd that we usually eat the gentle animals and fish, the ones who don't harm us, while ignoring lions, tigers, sharks and snakes as a food source, most of the time.

I know many fine men who hunt. I don't like it, but do think a quick killing shot is better than how most of our food is slaughtered. One after another, in front of each other.

There was no bond between Vick and those dogs, just like there is no bond between cattle and farmers and the slaughter houses.

I love dogs and cats, but also love cows, pigs and deer, but they just don't fit in my living room. Pigs are very intelligent animals and clean if given more than a muddy pig pen.

I grieve when I see cows kept with their heads in a stansion all the time so they will be tenderer meat. They never get to graze or live a life at all. Sad.

I don't think Vick should be ruined because of this. People can learn and they can change.

[baldblackman]

I don't care for dog fighting (or cock fighting), but please people stop with the "dogs show loyality" crap! Dogs are pack anomals and they are showing defference to the "top dog".
From the way people are reacting it as if Vick invented dog fighting. Like many of these non events there will be lots of anti-Vick mania but in a few months dog fighting will still be going on.

[booker52]

It's the way he killed the dogs, and what they were used for. It's also the sport itself. It's outlawed. I am pretty sure he placed and collected bets and well. We can be sure he is not going to cop to this. Gotta protect his NFL career at all costs!!!

[fraziersview]

Progressives need to remember what they are trying to build. If creating a more balanced political environment, where pragmatism and conscience coincide, or restoring a government powered (or atleast inspired) by the people is the objective then Progressives must publicly define their values. Torturing animals is not one of them. Empathy is not only core to morality, it also sets us apart as a spiecies. Can we therefore conclude that those of higher intelligence are more apt to display empathy? And if so, shouldn't we deem empathy as a sign of intellectual capabilities when choosing our
political leaders?

[VEGAN]

MURDER and RAPE is WRONG, universally.

The people who do not understand this YET... well ~ "that's just it".

[JackAwful]

Venus Fly Traps eat meat. If a damn plant can eat meat, why shouldn't I?

[jackejett]

No excuses for Michael Vick.

Anyone who defends him should never ever have a dog.

Dogs, like children, have the ultimate trust in their owners. Anyone that betrays this trust is, in a word, scum.

jack jett
www.yabbadabbahubbado.com

[LeftLeaner]

If you can't feel the outrage of the torture and abuse these animals endured at the HANDS of Mike VICIOUS and his cohorts, then I can't explain it to you.

[dartagnan]

This is what used to be known in the newspaper biz as a "steam-up column" -- something calculated to provoke a lot of outraged comments. It obviously succeeded.

[Trever99]

I agree 100% with the commentary.

In India cows are holy... we eat them... big deal.

People who say that it's wrong because it was sport.. thats hunting in a nutshell. If Vick had mounted the dogs heads and put them in his TV room.. it simply would have equated it to hunting.

I still can't for the life of me figure out hunting.. why it's cool to hide in trees or wherever... and when they see an animal come running along they fill it with lead from a high powered rifle.. and this is apparently fairly manly. Hey!.. look what I can do to an unsuspecting animal with a high powered rifle!.. that's cool man.. mount it!

But to each his own...

[ardeth]

Right on, Lawrence, except for the part about vets being "animal killers". I believe in humane euthanasia for nonhuman as well as human animals when there is no hope of a quality life. When my nine dogs and cats are too irreversibly sick to enjoy life, I'll take them to my vet to give them relief from their suffering, and I hope some compassionate doctor does the same with me when I get to that point.

Be that as it may, humans are such massive hypocrites when it comes to their schizoid treatment of animals--e.g., the ones they like to eat or wear are in one category, the ones they like to pet are in another--some animals are more equal than others, to these Big Whopper-devouring dumbies, and it doesn't make any ethical or rational sense. Amazes me that they don't recognize the obvious.

[BarnE]

I wonder if O'DDDonnnelll has a bet that he can pull 1000 comments with this dog eating post.

[JoeLosFeliz]

I've read a lot of the comments connected to this post and I'm actually surprised by how few people seem to get the point O'Donnell is making. He's not advocating the torture of dogs or any other animals - quite the opposite. He's merely pointing out what seems to be hypocrisy in many people's attitudes toward animals. Some are ok to raise on factory farms, treat horribly, etc. - as long as they or their products wind up on our dinner tables. It's totally arbitrary.

People go through life eating their boneless, skinless chicken (or the like) without for a moment thinking about where this food comes from or what kind of suffering is connected to it. But when a dog gets hurt, the world falls apart. It doesn't make any sense (apart from a psychological explanation).

[Incredulous]

America is one fucked up society! "Me, me, me! I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and you can't stop me!" Has there ever been a more self-absorbed bunch of navel gazers, in the history of man? I don't think so. So you go right ahead and defend Vick's barbaric torture and murder of those dogs. He's an AMERICAN! He doesn't need your fucking laws! And he doesn't give a shit about people's judgment! He's an AMERICAN! He's free to kick any fucking dog he wants. And don't you forget it!