Unfettered Letters

Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This voice, among so many others, gives a small glimpse into the silent suffering that many never hear. During the month of April, give a listen.
“If …”

If only she didn’t have to work so much
If only there was not so much cleaning to do
If only I didn’t make so many messes
If only I obeyed better
If only I was not always so difficult
If only I didn’t create trouble
Maybe then it would all be OK
Maybe then she would be less mad
Maybe then she would yell less
Maybe she wouldn’t call me those words
Maybe then she wouldn’t hit me
If only …

— Written by a Kansas City teen
Judy Thompson
Associate director, Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Kansas City

Cockfighting in Kansas

Thank you to The Star for supporting Kansas Senate Bill 238, which will make cockfighting in Kansas a felony (2/13, Opinion).

Every state surrounding Kansas treats this brutal activity as a felony. As long as cockfighting is only a misdemeanor in Kansas, we are a magnet for it and for all the gambling, illegal drug use and violence that accompanies this already-illegal activity.

Animal fighting, and all cruelty to animals, desensitizes people to suffering. In tough times we need to be more sensitive to each others’ suffering, especially those who cannot speak for themselves. Violence begets violence, and compassion begets compassion. Let’s get this right and make our state a better place for all of us.

Crystal Swann Blackdeer
Tonganoxie

The Star’s editorial in support of classifying cockfighting as a felony instead of a misdemeanor rings hollow. The Star reasons that the misdemeanor classification “means penalties are light and the risk of prison time is low.”

Many low-level felonies provide for the presumption of probation because the prisons are full. Prison has not proved useful in deterring drug use, with half of the inmates in federal and state prisons serving time for drug violations. Increasingly, thoughtful individuals are questioning the utility of relying on prison as a vehicle to effect societal reform.

Just as we embrace community corrections as an alternative to prison, we must effect reform of society by means other than filling prisons with low level, nonviolent offenders.

Cockfighting, drug use and a host of other deeply offensive activities must be remedied, but prison has not proved to be effective in reforming society. The vexing problems facing society today are not so easily solved by the closing of an iron door.

Michael Lee Kobe
Kansas City, Kan.

Protect children from violence

It sickens me that in the midst of winter holidays, we are reading about a 3-year-old boy beaten to death, and his mother’s boyfriend has been charged with the crime (12/30, Local, “Charges in boy’s death; Cass County prosecutor says Javier R. Barker caused 3-year-old Dillon Bahorski’s death by hitting, kicking him”).

I am registered nurse and hold a degree in sociology. However, I’m at a loss as to why these horrible crimes continue in America. It’s hard to believe this child’s mother had no clue her boyfriend might be violent or that she had no one else to watch her children. If she had no options, our government is tragically failing the millions of children being raised by single parents.

We spend so much time, money and energy trying to correct “wrongs” in other countries. Maybe it’s time for us to look in our own backyard. We have “Amber” alerts. How about “Dillon” alerts? Maybe we could have saved this little boy.

Deborah McCrady
Warrensburg, Mo.

Please don’t abandon pets

In the past week, two “stray” cats have come to our door. They have no ID, but are well fed and friendly.

If you find that you can no longer keep your pets, please do not just abandon them. They will be killed on the highway or by a stronger animal, or they will just freeze to death. Take unwanted pets to your local animal shelter.

If you find a stray, try to bring them at least into your garage, and then call Animal Control.

Gandhi said you can judge a nation by how it treats its animals. Animals have hearts and brains also.

Joan Millon
Olathe

Treatment of farm animals

Farm wife Marcia Gorrell wants us to believe that she and other factory farmers are treating their animals humanely (11/17, Opinion, “As I See It: Horror stories don’t reflect America’s farming excellence”).

While employed by Merck, I visited many modern farms. The standard practices that Gorrell defends as being based upon sound research would disturb most people.

History has taught us that we humans have the capacity to close our hearts to suffering and injustice when we benefit or have become desensitized.

I think Upton Sinclair was speaking directly to Gorrell’s predicament when he said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

Gorrell asks if it’s in our best interest to change these abhorrent practices. Yes it is! Diets rich in meat have been associated with more cancer, heart disease and kidney disease. They use more fossil fuel, create more greenhouse gases and pollute our water. When meat prices rise and we eat less, everyone will benefit.

JoAnn Farb
Lecompton Kan.

In defense of modern farming

I must express my extreme disappointment over Karen Dillon’s article “Factory farms under fire” (10/30, A-1). I know farmer Scott Phillips and his family personally. They are solid, patriotic, Christian, caring family farmers who certainly did not deserve this shellacking.

Today’s farmers and ranchers do a magnificent of providing the world’s safest, most abundant and certainly most affordable food supply, using currently accepted production methods. Articles like this will force agricultural producers to ask themselves why they must continually apologize for the job they are conducting.

Sources such as the Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Farm Sanctuary are not “animal welfare advocates.” They are animal-rights activists that actively promote a vegetarian lifestyle. Agriculture is only the low-hanging fruit. Ms. Dillon’s article only whips controversy to feed their money machines.

There is no middle ground of compromise with the animal rightists. All they really want is your money.

Rick Kennedy
Parkville

Missouri money, foreign cars

Am I the only one who noticed that director M. Steve Yoakum and other executives of the Missouri’s Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems board chose not to support the employees and many retirees of the American auto industry who live in Missouri? (10/19, A-1, “Apple for the teacher, but luxury for execs”) By purchasing Toyota Camrys, they instead sent the profit out of the country.

W.C. Ruckman
Kansas City

Farm animals deserve better

Thank you for Karen Dillon’s well-written article detailing the cruelty of factory farms (10/30, A-1, “Factory farms under fire; Warehouse-style conditions and confinement inspire a wave of challenges”).

Pigs are more intelligent than dogs and cats. They can learn to play simple video games, and when raised on pasture, they have a complex social structure. A mother pig will gather grass and straw and build a nest for her piglets.

How unbearable it must be for these intelligent animals, who like to root in the ground and have their minds challenged, to be locked in tiny barren crates where they can’t even turn around.

Additionally, factory farm pigs often suffer painful foot and leg problems and respiratory illnesses. In fact, 70 percent of the antibiotics used in this country are fed to factory farm animals to keep them alive in such stressful conditions.

All 27 countries of the European Union and four American states have banned these cruel practices. It’s time for national legislation to ensure that all animals, including those raised for food, are treated humanely.

Pam Snyder
Pleasant Hill

Just how dumb do factory-farm owners think we are? Spare us the lies and lame justifications for the cruel practices of these mega operations. Are we supposed to believe:

That animals in confinement are loving every minute of it?

That the selfless owners are thinking only of the welfare of the dear animals, rather than exploiting them for profit?

That animals living in cramped, toxic indoor conditions eating unnatural food, getting body parts cut off and forced into production overload and ill health is an improvement on God’s designs?

Which of these owners would be willing to trade places with the animals? It’s time that we demand reform and end the abuse of the least among us, our animal kin.

Better yet, stop raising animals for food at all, since it is an unsustainable practice, terrible on the environment and a contributor to poor health.

Carol J. Meyer
Roeland Park

Conditions at factory farms

Pig farmer Scott Phillips and University of Missouri agriculture professor George Jesse defend factory farming conditions where large sows live their entire lives in 2-by-7 foot slatted-floor cages, unable to even turn around (10/30, A-1, “Factory farms under fire”). They say it keeps them safe, protected and out of the elements.

I’d be willing to put farmer Phillips and Jesse in cages about the size of a vertical coffin. Their confinement would be roomier than a sow’s, because they could at least turn around.

The benefits, of course, would be numerous. They wouldn’t have to worry about paying bills or taxes, shopping, having accidents, maintaining vehicles or homes, encountering criminals, getting robo-calls from politicians or even dealing with plumbers. A slatted floor would drain any waste into an open tank just below their feet.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, huh guys? Surely you deserve a life as safe and protected as some pigs.

Talis Bergmanis
Fairway

Cruel act may be cry for help

Recently a 16-year-old in Kansas City, Kan. was charged with animal cruelty. He was accused of setting a kitten named Tinkerbell on fire (9/17, Local, “Animal cruelty charges filed”). Tinkerbell was so badly burned that her family had to have her euthanized.

This case should concern us for several reasons. Youths who are cruel to animals often have experienced or witnessed abuse. The young man in this case and his environment should be carefully scrutinized. While there is no excuse for his horrendous act, his behavior may be traced to a situation that taught him that cruelty is acceptable.

Many people who are violent toward humans (domestic violence, sexual assault, serial killers) have histories of cruelty to animals. Appropriate intervention with this young man may prevent his committing additional and escalating cruelty in the future.

Finally, criminal cruelty such as this must not go unpunished. Cases like this that are not prosecuted teach that cruelty is excusable, even acceptable and, in some circles, celebrated.

Tinkerbell suffered horribly. Her family surely continues to mourn her loss. If we do not demand justice in this case, we share responsibility for the crime. We can and must do better.

Crystal Swann Blackdeer
Tonganoxie