I almost forgot about Blog The Change.

At least three times this past week I’ve gasped in horror and said, “Oh My God, I forgot Blog The Change!  Wait a minute, what’s the date?  Oh, ok I have time.”

Then I thought, what the hell am I going to write about?  After mulling it over in my mind and reading one too many facebook/internet articles about animal cruelty, I decided I would write about harsher penalties for animal neglecters and abusers.

One of my friends lives in TN, you may remember her.  She wrote to me asking about helping with her new dog, Ginger and the issues they were having with their current dog, Candy. (If you missed it, you can find it here.)  Well guess what?  A puppy showed up on her deck on Friday.

But that isn’t what this post is about.  Once her comment was up a number of other comments followed.  Apparently she thinks this may be one of her neighbor’s dogs, because he has a slew of them and keeps them all outside, all of the time.  Even in horrible weather, his attitude is ‘they have a dog house, they can use it.’

That statement alone could send me off on a long tangent, but there’s more.  What I said was, “I hate people like your neighbor.”

Then someone else commented with, “Me too, Jodi.  Cruel and Inhumane.”

To which I responded, “Sometimes I think people should have to pass tests to have pets, and children too.”

Well here’s the crux of it and what I was trying to get to.  While the whole idea of someone passing a test to have a pet or a child is ludicrous, and would really give entirely too much power to a government with too much power already, I really believe if we had stronger penalties for cruelty and neglect, perhaps and it is a BIG PERHAPS.  Perhaps, people would think twice before committing crimes of this nature.

IMO, criminals have too many ‘rights.’ Listen, if you committed a crime, you lose your rights.  I’m sorry.  Yes you have a right to an attorney, and a fair trial, but just how do you figure you’re entitled to have a gym in prison and cable tv?

What has happened to society?  Each generation seems to become more and more perverse.  Where is the shame and embarrassment of doing something you know is wrong?  Once upon a time I was terrified of my father.  All he had to say was, “I have a bone to pick with you” and I would just about wet my pants.  Did he ever hit me?  No.  He didn’t have to.

Once upon a time people were embarrassed to have spent time in jail, now they wear it like a badge of honor.  WTF?  Really, what have we come to?

Personally I would love to see us go back to the stockades in the center of town.  Yes, even for the horrible crimes.  Before you go to prison, spend a day and night in the stockade in the center of town.  Make sure to leave boxes and boxes of rotten tomatoes nearby, so people can walk by and pitch one at em.  Of course you would need to make sure to have a guard posted because there would certainly be at least one that would pitch a rock.  (Then they would have to go in the stockade alongside the criminal.)

Stop.  Give me a minute to climb down off this soap box, I feel like this post has gotten off track.

I think there should be stronger penalties for people who abuse children, animals and the elderly.  I also think our prisons and jails should concentrate less on the creature comforts of prisoners and more on the idea that these people are being punished.

I would like to see this issue become a federal matter and not one based on a state’s opinion.  There are too many states where animals are abused and neglected with little to no punishment.

Let’s take a stand!  I am starting with my State Representatives, and asking where and how to start.

Whose with me? Will you Be The Change?

My book (which I haven’t worked on yet today) has 1001 words.

This is the Blog The Change For Animals Blog hop.  You can get your code here.