Dear Editor: The case of the Fitchburg teenager who is accused of trying to kill another teen at her home by stabbing her with a knife reportedly admitted to previously killing birds, strangling squirrels, pulling apart frogs, and trying to hang a dog. The teenager may perfectly exemplify the link between cruelty to animals and interpersonal violence.
Animal abusers are cowards who take their issues out on “easy victims,” and they rarely limit their cruelty to other species. Psychiatrists, criminal profilers and law enforcement officials have repeatedly documented that young people who are cruel to animals often turn that violence against humans. Cruelty to animals appears in the histories of all our nation’s serial killers and tragic school shooters.
If you know or suspect that someone is abusing animals, please report it to police and humane authorities immediately — for the safety of animals and the entire community. Visit www.HelpingAnimals.com to learn more about the animal-human cruelty link.
Martin Mersereau, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Norfolk, Va.
Posted in Mailbag on Saturday, November 21, 2009 5:00 am Updated: 2:51 pm.
The paper that helped trigger fear that a routine childhood vaccine might lead to autism was retracted recently by a respected medical journal, but Madison resident Mike Wagnitz still worries about vaccines.
Feb 09, 2010 | 5:00 am | Loading…
As impossibly idyllic as it may sound, members of Madison Fruits and Nuts want fruit- and nut-bearing trees in a public place near you, where you can watch the fruit form and ripen and when the time is just right, reach up and pluck it.
Feb 08, 2010 | 5:40 am | Loading…
Two years ago, Gov. Jim Doyle gathered with officials from an Austrian company to tout a new factory in Madison for manufacturing high-tech medical devices. Things have not gone exactly as planned, however.
Feb 07, 2010 | 4:00 am | Loading…
Critics say school districts will drop sex ed entirely rather than comply with new state law
Feb 06, 2010 | 10:00 am | Loading…
Among the tributes sent to a website after Neha Suri, a UW-Madison junior, died of meningitis was a note from a Wisconsin mother named Gail Bailey. She is a member of Moms On Meningitis, which works to raise awareness about the disease.
Feb 05, 2010 | 5:00 am | Loading…
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