When conservatives talk about the coarsening of our culture they usually refer to the use of expletives or something trivial. Meanwhile, there is a pervasive darkness that has eclipsed our daily lives in small towns and big cities. In another era, police were sometimes a bit happy to use their nightstick or flashlight. Then came the age of pepper spray and the reign of the tazer. It is hard to be nostalgic about some things but life was better when lethal force for dogs--and people--was not the first resort for peace officers.
In a sense, the darkness wins because we grow numb to contextual violence. Nothing wrong with a little shooting so long as the right people are doing the shooting.
Lest we think the following video is an isolated incident: http://dogmurders.wordpress.com/
Radley Balko, perhaps the last journalist in America (and the host of the website listed above) provides this ugly assessment:
In recent years, police officers have shot and killed chihuahuas, miniature dachshunds, Wheaton terriers, and Jack Russell terriers.Last month, a California police officer shot and killed a boxer puppy and pregnant chihuahua, claiming the boxer had threatened him. The chihuahua, he said, got caught in the crossfire. When a San Bernardino, Calif., woman called police to report a burglary in progress behind her house last month, they responded, jumped her fence to confront the burglars, then shot her dalmatian mix, Julio. He survived. Police officers have also recently shot dogs that were chained, tied, or leashed -- obviously posing no real threat to officers who killed them.
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CULTURE?
1 comment:
It's a little off topic but the Indiana Supreme Court struck down Evansville anti-smoking ordinance. It applied to all taverns except Casino Astar, now called Tropicana. Makes me wish I still smoked.
Post a Comment