The Strib has a story today about a 14-year-old boy who witnesses saw attack a flock of geese:
Sandy Slathar doesn't even like geese all that much.
But when she looked out her Minneapolis office window Tuesday and saw a teenage boy grab a stick and attack a flock of geese along the Mississippi River, the 47-year-old Coon Rapids woman tore down four flights of stairs to defend the fowl.
At least one gosling was dead. The story says the boy was arrested for cruelty to animals and released to his mother. He should have been held for a psych exam as far as I'm concerned.
On occasion I've seen very small children hurt or toy with animals. In every case(so far) it was a matter of ignorance and not deliberate cruelty. I don't think we are born with empathy, it's something that in the beginning has to be taught and formed. It's one of many critical tasks of parenting, to see that empathy take shape. Then at the right age you have to once again help the child get perspective once they begin to grasp the inherent violence of nature.
The absence of empathy at age 14 though, is huge danger sign, like an unprovoked attack from a dog. If it's my dog, that dog is going to be put down. If that was my boy, any boy at that age actually, it should be do not pass go, go directly to therapy. And I'm not a big fan of therapy these days. My gut tells me we over-medicate children in this country when what they really need more is firm guidance, some understanding, and love. This kid though, he needs some help, before he turns into a real monster.
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