Older SARS Story: Panicked Chinese Abandon or Euthanize Pets
Came across a horrid story about the Chinese, panicking in the face of SARS, turning on their animals as possible carriers. The story is here, Amid SARS epidemic, China panics over pets. Authorities in hazmat suits are killing strays (the story says they are sometimes beating the animals to death, why? who knows but its sickening) and pet owners are having their own animals euthanized or are exiling them to the streets where they face a dangerous future and will likely die.

Umm, I don't think I've heard or seen any mention of SARS being transmitted by animals. Perhaps I'm wrong but this feels like a form of vigilantism, point a finger, accuse, execute, move on to next accusee and repeat. And sure, eventually they'll get the culprit but how many have to die before that one guilty party is captured?

I just feel bad for all these animals, once beloved pets, now reviled as potentially deadly disease carriers even though there's been no evidence that they can carry SARS. And it indicates to me just how desperate the situation is getting in China. I'm thinking that SARS is one helluva lot more dangerous than anyone in America is giving it credit for.

And Close to Home: This is what passes for a dad?
Man Who Used Stun Gun on Children Sent to Prison in which this fuckstick effectively tortured his 8 year old stepson with a 100,000 volt stun gun because he missed the school bus. This asshole made him walk five miles and used the stun gun to keep him moving. Well now he gets to spend two years in jail and, if there's any justice in the world at all, he'll be gang raped and left to bleed to death on the shower room floor. This bugger used the stun gun on his 11 year old step daughter as well. And let a 2 and a 3 year old wander around the trailer park unattended in dirty diapers (yeah, never would have guessed the trailer park angle, would you?).

Anyway, I was so thoroughly appalled at this that I had to post it. Why do some people continue to exist when they serve zero purpose except to drag down humanity with their stupidity and cruelty. Some days I really, really hope there's karmic justice.

That and I wish I could recall the staggering difference in rates of abuse between biological fathers and busters who marry the mom and then start abusing her kids. Its unreal, something like a 30 to 1 difference in chances of the "dad" abusing the kids. And, from a purely evolutionary point of view that I do not condone, it does make sense. Why "waste" your energy in raising someone else's gene bank children when you're own genes aren't going to propogate. But that's a purely biological viewpoint and doesn't take into account the fact that love and cherish includes the offspring of the woman you're marrying.

And the cycle repeats when the abused kid grows up, realizes that he's going to have a shitty life and takes it out on those creatures that are smaller than him, dogs, cats and children. Child abuse is one of those things that does far, far more harm than anyone ever thinks it does. You smack your child in Safeway for misbehaving and next thing you know, he's beating up the cat or his baby brother and you reinforce it by beating the shit out of him again. The cycle can't be broken by idiots, it can only be broken by someone with the objectivity to see beyond the immediate situation. And to think of physical punishment as the absolute last resort (yes, there are things that kids do that they should get a spanking for) not as the first weapon in a parent's arsenal of coping with kids.

And anyone reading this that thinks its okay to smack kids, put yourself in their place and consider the situation from their eyes. Their protector and provider is hurting them, they have nowhere else to turn, no one else to care for them so they have to take it. They have to take it until they're strong enough to take their pent up aggresion out on someone or something else. And you've just created a violent and abusive man in training. Well done, now, for a reward, go and stuff your head in your gas oven and await salvation.