Torture has, unfortunately, been in the news fairly often over the last year or so. And, as many of you know, it is hard for certain members of the DN to keep off their soapbox when provided any public forum, no matter how limited the forum. In fact, many may be surprised that this site has remained soapbox free for this long. Today that comes to an end, because today the DN must speak out against squirrel torture. The Chicago Tribune published a story today about a man who trapped a grey squirrel, poked it with a stick and then scalded it with water from a teapot. Ultimately, the squirrel died. The man felt justified because other, unidentified squirrels damaged his garage windows, chewed holes in his garage door and dug holes in his yard.
Joking aside, this level of callousness towards life is stupefying. The DN was plagued with squirrel problems this fall after planting bulbs in our new flower beds and a favorite DN activity with our beloved Tilly was squirrel chasing and general squirrel harassment (neither Tilly nor Fido were ever allowed to catch a squirrel, even on the rare occasions when one of them have had a chance to catch one). But we never would have harmed a squirrel to pay the squirrel community back for our lost bulbs or let Tilly kill one for sport. Even Momma D, who has been known to throw squirrel "cocktail parties" -- including delicacies such as peanut butter laced with rat poison -- would never harm or mutilate a squirrel for pleasure, even though she does advocate the swift death of squirrels to protect her home and sanity. Yes, the DN enjoys the occasional steak, wears leather belts, coats and shoes and even the occasional fur. But that seems far different than inflicting prolonged, purposeless pain onto an animal for no reason.
On a different note, the DN once again apologizes for a posting lull. More pics and stories are on the way.
2 comments:
I'm not sure a squirrel has been tortured here. What evidence do we have that the water was "scalding" hot? (1) alleged steam, and (2) alleged burns on the squirrel's head.
As for steam, well, it's January. It doesn't take scalding water to create steam. Maybe the guy was just giving the rodent a warm bath.
As for burns, who's to say the squirrel didn't burn himself chewing through some electric wire or some other typically squirrelly endeavor?
Wow, you have really taken to being a defense attorney Matt. There was a day when you would have led the angry mob against this squirrel-hating b**tard without a thought about fact-checking.
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