What Is Wrong With People Today?

Update: The cat was in a cage having been trapped for spaying and neutering, and these girls were 15.

I don't know to what extent it went on before and is just now being noticed, but what with the Michael Vick story, now this story ... there are too many animals being raised as humans today.

COTATI, Calif. -- A three-month-old kitten is fighting for his life after allegedly being set afire by two teenage girls last week.

The male shorthaired kitten, named Adam, received second- and third-degree burns over 75 percent of its body and was being treated at the Animal Hospital in Cotati, located in Northern California's Sonoma County, officials said.

A boy and his friend said they saw the smoke and heard the cat shrieking while the girls laughed.

Comments

[Mitch]

None of the animal cruelty surprises me. American society is getting worse by the day.

When live in the day where lack of respect, lack of education and lack of morals are rampant. Let's just keep having more welfare babies and see where we are 10 years from now.

Sad, all very sad !!!!!!!

[seekeronos]

Problem with animal cruelty is - it is only a short step from hurting and killing animals with satanic glee to doing the same to humans.

Those girls are in deep, deep trouble. I only hate to wonder what their family life (or lack thereof) must be like to have lead to this wanton disregard for life.

Mitch, your observations are spot on... it is because of our national sin of rejecting God and His Christ that we suffer the things we are going through now (the breakdown of our society).

Truly this nation is well on the path to becoming as Sodom and Gomorrah were, and God's certain judgment draws ever closer, unless we as a nation get down on our knees and repent with tears before the Lord God.

[mojo]

The enjoyment of cruelty is a deep psych problem, alrighty. Nearly all serial killers start this way.

[nowingker]

That's true, but maybe too pat an answer, my 'gut feeling' tells me it has something to do with desensitizing children and a de-connection from the natural world, where ALL things are consumable for our pleasure and 'value' is only monetary, nothing else, nothing higher.

I doubt these two girls are future serial killers, they are more than likely products of lazy parents more concerned w/their own status than instilling values in their children and the girls having grown up on the American diet of violent TV, movies and video games wanted to see it for 'real'...the fact they were LAUGHING tells me they are desensitized beyond repair, like a good chunch of this country.

[Phoenix]

I'm not blaming-the-parent routine on this one. (Which is not to dismiss it but to bring up another point.) As a teacher for 20 years and the wife of a veterinarian, I can just say there is no categorizing the kind of psychopathic behavior that leads to cruelty to animals. The only thing I can say with assurety is that it produces the exact same effect in those who witness it - utter, gut-sinking horror. With a few exceptions, humans are the only animal capable of this kind of behavior, and the few animals that do kill or main for sport don't laugh.

I don't disagree with any of the comments. But from experience, I have seen some of the worst behavior in kids who come from parents who have worked their butts off to do the right thing for their families - emotionally and physically and who disciplined fairly...and many of whom were very religious. It's almost as if this sick kind of cruelty exists in a vacuum sometimes.

Unfortunately, I know far too many stories. I just hope they make a big deal out of these two girls and throw the book at them. Put them in real jail - not juvenile detention. And have the guards come by each day, several times a day, and laugh at them in their cages.

[nowingker]

So, what's your theory then, 'bad seeds'?

It's true that good parents can produce bad kids, but I wonder when you add that these families were 'very religious'...I have seen a LOT of very religious families who live in a weird kind of denial and are often completely ignorant of who their children are..as long as they are in church on Sunday and dressing conservative the parents think everything is fine until they get pregnant or get arrested and then they're shocked beyond belief.

[seekeronos]

It goes beyond just checking to see if the kids are "just going through the motions", but rather spending time with them and working through their issues.

Of course, some kids will simply just go on to do some very evil things, even if the parents have done right - we humans are all evil by nature - but over all, those families that take the time to discipline their kids and bring them up in the teaching of the Lord - in LOVE, these will usually go forth to bear good fruit.

[Beenherebefore]

IMHO some kids are just born bad seeds.. I have a cousin who was bad bad bad even at 5yrs old...

If i had my way these girls would suffer the same fate
If they would do this to a poor defensless animal, what would they do to a younger child??

DIE!

[brian]

I have a theory that people are being born without souls. That's the only way I can see someone having the ability to torch a kitten.

These girls need to be put down now before they become the serial killers they aredestined to become.

Oh - and leave the video games and movies out of it. I don't know of any video games where you're supposed to light kittens on fire. Remember, Cho Seung-Hui killed 30 people, and didn't play video games.

[nowingker]

Good god, what a thought!

Why do you think that?

I cant' see how there can't be a cumulative effect of glorifying violence, glamorizing violence and making violence not real, like a horror movie or an action film, bodies pile up but there is no emotional connection the audience has w/the people being killed. They used to do a lot of studies on violence and children but they don't seem to do them anymore.

It's the same w/porn. How is it possible for a pre teen or teenager to view images of women portrayed as sex crazed sluts who are all dying for it and not come away with a subconscious belief that women are all sex crazed sluts...and then we're shocked when drunk teenagers commit gang rape. They've seen it a million times already and the girl always enjoys it in the movie.

Believe me, I'm not diminishing the sickness of lighting a cat on fire, if I read tomorrow those girls both got knifed through the heart I would consider it a job well done because that kind of blatant torture is something that isn't counseled out of you.

I just think calling them bad seeds is the easy way out, the truth is, there are probably thousands or millions of these people who have no empathy, feeling or caring for anything but their own pleasure. A generation of sociopaths if you will.

[Phoenix]

Nowinger,

"I have seen a LOT of very religious families who live in a weird kind of denial and are often completely ignorant of who their children are." Some of the *worst* offenders I have seen have been the children of pastors or other extremely religious people. Just didn't want to state it right out.

Bad seeds - yep. You just described them.

[nowingker]

Phoenix,

Another reason why I think religious zealotry is bad..."because God says so/you will go to hell" is an easy way out, a way of controlling and instilling fear WITHOUT instilling actual values. In order to teach values they have to come with a reason, a 'why' that is more than 'god's will/god's teaching.' And the whole repression of all negative emotions, sexual thoughts, etc. that is part and parcel of most organized religion is not to healthy either.

[Robert]

I don't know how anybody can torch a cute little kitten like that and live with themselves. Those girls must be possessed by Satan or something. I just hope Adam ends up in a good home for the rest of his life.