krazykidd said:
I bet it was an accident . There is a lot of easier ways the dispose of kittens . Plus who cares , it's an animal . Let's worry about helping/saving humans first and then animals . How can we save others when we can't save ourselves?
Unfortunately, this is a two-sided argument. See, certain animals that we consider to be companions (dogs, cats, and the occasional snake...) represent a certain degree of innocence in the human mind. We sympathize with hurt animals who are harmed by human actions because we had human motivations behind the action, but the animal did not...thus, they become victimized (there's this scene in the movie "Apocalypse Now" when some soldiers shoot a boat filled with civilians, and the audience makes no sound, but when a PUPPY appears on the boat, suddenly the audience is shocked and sobbing). In short, we understand the complexities of human cruelty, but animals don't.
Now, this is different for say...sharks, tigers and other large, predatory animals. These animals have physical superiority over your Average Joe (quickly turning him into Sloppy Joe). These animals can defend themselves, and so when they become injured the human mind perceives this as less of a tragedy and more as a natural conflict. We have more sympathy for small animals out of our twisted idea of "fairness". Nature has no "fairness". It exists only in the human mind...and that makes it as real as it needs to be, particularly for some.
Canine companions also seem capable to adapting to our human emotions quite nicely. Dog owners will understand that a dog will match their behavior along with their owners emotion, behavior, and daily routines...giving the dog a sort of identity, even if the dog may not comprehend it. This "imprinting" adds a new level to emotional attachment to animals.
But for some, the level of emotional attachment to animals is minimal, and this is usually dependent on that person's past history, mindset, and opinion. So the political opinion on animal cruelty is mixed, and always will be so.
As for your statement "how can we save others when we can't save ourselves?"...I find that a very deep and intricate statement, because you can just as naturally say "how can we save ourselves without saving others?" This ties together with the concept of Harmony...another long-winded discussion that an Internet forum would be ill-fit to discuss. Offering my opinion, I find it emotionally wrong and logically perplexing to harm a small animal, in the name of any human issue..because that reflects the sinister aspects of humanity. I see no reason why not to prevent such things from happening, regardless of human problems. It seems...wrong.
