Abuse, Animals and Children
By: J.C. Kirby
2005
The Yukon is a vast and rugged territory and without animals would be a lonely and
difficult terrain to navigate. Since the gold rush of '98 animals have carried supplies,
protected their owners and been used as a means of transportation. Like the land
resources, animals are also a resource that we use. In most cases, these beings are well
looked after and respected, they are trusted companions and in some cases our best
friends. This is not always the case in our "modern" culture though and that is the focus
of this writing. The behavior of humans to abuse animals is nothing new and that this trait
is indicative of violence in the home as well is not all that surprising.
Given the lack of proactive response from federal sources, Senator Brydons
recent re-introduction of ignorant legislation (Bill S-24) and territorial initiatives that fall
short of reason in our own Wildlife Act, are we to surmise that this issue is unworthy of
scrutiny and intelligent solutions, costly though these solutions may be, it is this writers
opinion that ignorance is always expensive and gets more so as time passes.
Let's have a look at the philosophy behind of the abuse of animals. Where did we
get the idea that animals could be used and discarded indiscriminately? When 'god' gave
mankind 'dominion' [n. from Dominus, lord, master] 1. Sovereign or supreme authority;
the power of governing and controlling; domination; supremacy; sovereignty;
independent possession; control. 2. In law, power to direct, control, use and dispose of at
pleasure; right of possession and use without being accountable; as, the private
domination of individuals. ++ ,over the beasts of the field, air and water, the majority of
humans, including the politically motivated took this at face value. By this definition we
instantly possessed the god given right to wholesale slaughter of our natural environment.
Sounds more like a fabulous marketing ploy with a blank check attached, and I'll be
damned if it hasn’t worked. These precepts were heavily entrenched in the founding of
this country as being a right not to be questioned and quite frankly was not and has not
been questioned and scrutinized for the damaging repercussions that have been
intracately woven into the fabric of our "culture". These followers of biblical law
effectively removed the 'spirit' of animals, animals were viewed as soulless beings, and
their fate became insignificant. The bible itself has been cause for monumental treachery
aimed not just at the natural world but towards all of humanity, which we are now more
aware of than ever before in history. This act of god being the first treachery toward those
we, as thinking humane people would govern is only the beginning and it does give rise
to the very foundations of violence in almost all cultures. Women were also considered
property under this misguided regime, which has now modified but remained
unaccountable for its previous atrocities.
"Do but think what Woman has suffered from the belief,--the foul and foolish
calumny,--that she was the cause of the fall of the human race! She ought never to forgive
it. She ought to wake up and work, and sleep no more, until that lying libel is dead and
damned, and the whole system of false teaching to which it belongs is swept out of the
world for ever." *
So much for origins. The hunting and gathering of food has always existed,
outright cruelty though is a moral construct that is taught and must be a cultural construct
to continue. The imprinting of 'morality' upon western culture which led to blind
acceptance of the moral/ethical hogwash that has become our yard stick has produced
laws from this stand point as well. These laws need to be challenged and their ignorance
exposed so they may be replaced with legislation that truly understands and values life.
We still do not have enough interest from our policy makers to consider the
solutions and execution of those solutions for those issues which have more impact on
our culture than almost any other societal dynamic.
Following are some facts concerning violence toward animals, women and
children. More numbers to add to the already ad nauseous list of evidence piled in front
of prevailing ignorance.
The CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies Bob Van Tongerloo
says of the federal laws:
"Research has clearly shown that crimes against animals are too often linked
to crimes against people. By introducing such weak legislation as Bill S-24. Senator
Brydon fails to recognize the link between animal cruelty and public safety, not to
mention the simple fact that most Canadians believe that animal cruelty in and of
itself is a serious crime and that protection provided by the current law is
insufficient."
In other studies of the link between animal cruelty and human abuses-
"Offenders of violent crimes are significantly more likely to have
abused pets and stray animals in their childhood," according to the
study by USF professor Kathleen Heide and animal welfare expert Linda
Merz-Perez.
The study is the first to provide both quantitative and qualitative
analyses of the correlation between childhood animal cruelty and adult
violent behavior. The results are published in Heide's recently
released third book, Animal Cruelty: Pathway to Violence Against
People, co-authored by Merz-Perez.
"We noticed in some cases that the type of abuse violent offenders
inflicted on an animal was similar to the type of act they later
committed on people," Heide said. "Also, violent offenders rarely
expressed any remorse for their actions or empathy for the animals."
The study underscores that early intervention following an act of
animal cruelty is imperative to helping ensure that adolescents do not
follow a path of violent behavior
Heide and Merz-Perez found that the type of abuse violent offenders
also showed a tendancy toward abuse of wild and and farm animals.
Animal abuse in violent homes can take many ugly forms:
• abusive parents kill, threaten to kill, pets to coerce children into
sexual abuse or remaining silent about such abuse
• battered women are afraid to leave violent homes because their
partners will kill the animals, or because there is no one to take
care of the animals if they leave
• disturbed children kill animals to rehearse their own suicide, or to
pre-empt an abusive parent from killing their pet.
When perpetrated by children, animal abuse can represent a dangerous
inability for a child to empathize with others; when witnessed by
children, animal maltreatment may be part of a desensitizing pattern
that sets a violent course which may be lifelong. Margret Mead has
written, " One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child
is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it".#
"In 1905, Sigmund Freud suggested that clinicians pay special attention
to children who are especially cruel to animals. Today there is growing
evidence that childhood cruelty toward animals is often a precursor to
cruelty to other humans." *+*
A study by the Ontario SPCA (1998)surveyed women leaving abusive
relationships:
• 61% had had pets abused or killed by their partners.
• 48% said concern over the safety of their pets prevented them from
leaving sooner
A study(Deviney, Dickert & Lockwood, 1983) surveyed 53 families where
child abuse had occurred and pets were present:
• 60% reported abuse of the family pets.
Where the child abuse had been physical:
• 88% reported companion animals had been either abused or killed.
Ascione, (1998) puts forth findings very similar, A study of women
seeking shelter at a safe house showed that 71% of those having pets
affirmed their partner had threatened, hurt or killed their companion
animals, and 32% of mothers reported that their children had hurt or
killed their pets.
And from Brown University's,
"Even in chaotic homes, animals play an important role in lives of
children. Interestly, and not surprisingly, children in violent homes
often rely more on their pets for love and loyalty than do other
children. Yet in violent homes, animals seldom survive past age two.
They are either killed, die from neglect or run away to escape the
abuse."+
These statistics go on and on as many of you know. One
interesting aspect of the solution that has been
implemented in at least some of the civilised populations
is cross referencing animal abuse with domestic abuse
through veteranary, law and municiple enforcement agencies.
In this way law enforcement has a clearer picture of
individuals with histories of violence and more appropriate
treatment may intervene at early stages.
This Territory itself has a long history and graphic
evidence of its archaic approach to its advancing society,
which will not be discussed here.
Intellectual inquiry into the Territories
machinations by focused effort of those who desire these
issues addressed is important in my view. It may help us
understand why these issues appear to be ignored. Violence
is big business, it supports a host of "professionals"
"experts" and "talk therapists".** Yukon legislators could
re build the animal protection act and give it some teeth,
Veteranarians can report instances of abuse to local
authorities, shelters and police can and have worked
together, keep the names of these abusive men/women in the
papers and newsletters so we know who they are. It is also
the nature of boom or bust communities such as ours to
harbour these archaisms as a fundamental principle of their
origins. How quaint it is to preserve a past filled with
ignorance and the outright cowardly theft of
energy/resources from beings who could not possibly protect
themselves against their perpetrators. Power to create
legal change, when held by the fearful and half hearted is
complicit in the very transgressions it makes its laws
against and should be put on trial in the same fashion it
endorses when it proves itself inadequate for the job.
To further illustrate the point, a blast from our past.
"At the latter date[1873]the destruction of these animals [bison] was
so wasteful and wanton that it is believed every hide which came into
the market represented four animals, and on one of the three
penetrating the southern bison country, nearly a quarter of a million
skins, more than a million and a half pounds of bones, were carried
during the year in decaying carcasses; and it was a common practice to
drive away the animals when they came to drink till they became
maddened with thirst that they would come within easy shooting
distance."***
The above illustration is of course the means used to
acquire land for the grazing of cattle and human settlers.
One consolation in all of this is the sure knowledge
that the lives of abusive people are cluttered with the
remnants of their deeds and they will never escape their
creations (unless they become accountable, a seemingly
unrealistic proposal)and they will meet their end with full
knowledge of what they will never be.
May the makers of laws heed the recognition of all children
and animals as worthy of our full attention and protection
under Law, as well as those being victimised by lesser,
predatory life forms. Lack of interest in this issue is
also indicative that abuse is big business in this culture.
It keeps the public unbalanced and those who gain from its
propogation well fed. Why else would government create
revolving door policies and mediocre laws, in the face of
overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that appear to
affect change yet in fact do nothing of the sort? That
point deserves serious scrutiny. Violence of any sort aimed
at children, women or animals is unacceptable, the powers
that create laws to protect those beings must recognise and
endorse this fact, which is their mandate, or be removed
from their office if they cannot.
New Zealander, Ragnar Redbeard once said;
"Whenever, therefore, A lie has built unto itself a throne,
Let it be assailed without pity and without regret; For
under the dominance of an inconvenient falsehood, No Nation
can permanently prosper".
Maybe something beyond half hearted effort can be
made here in the Yukon, who owes its few comforts to those
who have made its life comfortable and are not being given
their just deserts while perpetrators of violence remain
free to roam and continue their idiocy.
James Kirby, 2005
References:
++ Websters Twentieth Century Dictionary. 1938
*Gerald Massey, The Book of Beginings. Vol1. Kessinger.
*Phil Arkow. Animal Abuse and Family Violence
**Plagues of the Mind. The New Epidemic of False Knowledge.
Bruce Thornton. ISI Books. 1999
***Leydekker. p.784 Volume II Library of Natural History,
1904
+Brown University's, Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter
Vol. 16. No.3:
*+* Alan Beck. Co-author of: Cruelty to Animals and
Interpersonal Violence.
# Latham Foundation. Breaking the Cycles of Violence.
26min. video. 64 pg training manual.