You can use their butchered bodies to send messages to your political opponents! The campaign manager for a Democrat running for office in Arkansas was horrified to discover the family pet killed and “LIBERAL” painted on its body.
Little known fact: cats, dogs, goldfish, hamsters, gerbils, boa constrictors, turtles, and canaries are all politically liberal, and would all vote Democratic if only The Man weren’t keeping them down. I believe arthropods tend to be more libertarian, but even there, no self-respecting animal of any phylum would ever stoop so low as to vote Republican.
Arthropods libertarian? Hey, no need to be rude!
While a lot of people in Arkansas are both backwards and horribly misguided, I don’t know if I know anyone, even a republican, who’d stoop to this. Horrible and disgusting, and hopefully the person is found and charged.
I also am quite disturbed to find myself agreeing with PETA on anything…
That is just goddamned disgusting. Conservative fucktards…
Except for y’know Humans; but then again… “self-respecting” doesn’t really match up with Humans.
After all we kill each other over which imaginary figure we believe in when by all accounts it’s the same imaginary figure…
[Note: we is in reference to all of humankind for the most part]
A campaign manager for a congressional race is generally not very high-profile, and not someone who would be on the radar of anyone not associated with an opposing campaign. (Happy to be corrected if anyone from Arkansas knows this guy to be an exception.) Just saying that while it’s not certain, it’s probably a decent bet that (unless it was someone who knew him personally) it was someone from the opposing campaign and that most of the people working there probably have a good idea of who.
My cat is a swing voter,she would vote for anyone who gives her attention. :-)
Not even elephants?
Ya know, after reading the past two animal abuse posts here, I have to say it ruined my day. My opinion of humanity just sinks lower and lower. I’m almost 50 years old, and when I had to put my beloved furbaby to sleep last June it broke my heart. I can’t even imagine what something sick and twisted like this would do to a child who loved his or her kitty. Goddammit I hate people.
The crime is horrific. The righty reaction is almost as bad – don’t look at the Reuters article on this unless you want to wear your monitor as a handwarmer.
My new kitty is a staunch member of the Can Opener Whirring Noise Party.
As an Arkansas resident, this brings to mind the murder of Gwatney (he was the Democratic Party leader here in Arkansas), by a guy who walked into the Democratic Party office, asked to speak to someone, barged in and opened fire. The police later killed the shooter in self-defense as he opened fire on them.
(The preceding events I refer to happened in 2008)
Terrible. I hope those responsible are soon found and arrested. I also hope the police will give some protection to the family, this looks like something that might escalate.
family pet killed and “LIBERAL” painted on its body.
True story:
Friend of my current Partner, had to move to a Southern State (nameless) for work purposes.
Locals found out they were atheists. In order over the next 2 years:
-vocal threats issued (continued ad nauseum)
-car tires slashed
-car window broken
-car STOLEN
-front yard plants destroyed, feces dumped on lawn
-front window of house broken with rock.
-Cat stolen
-Cat returned, on lawn, dead (neck broken, IIRC).
During all of this, reports to police were received with assurances the matter would be looked into.
nothing happened.
after 3 years, they finally managed to get the company to transfer him to a new location.
now this is just ONE acquaintance, a random event, not anything I went looking for.
how often does this shit REALLY go on, and the media just fails to report it, the cops fail to do anything about it, and the family ends up just moving away…
and, rhetorically, how much worse is it in countries where secular law has simply been abandoned?
unless you want to wear your monitor as a handwarmer.
Nice imagery. saved.
:)
It’s been a slippery slope for the Democrats ever since Representative Frank’s roommate proposed universal gerbil suffrage,
PZ may look forward to the hegemony of liberal hedgehogs, but cunning plans of elephantine subtlety are underfoot, and he will awake on election day to discover the Apoptosis Amendment’s passage has motivated every virus in the nation to vote for the GOP.
Meanwhile, if Florida allows Republican reptiles to register , every last newt would naturally vote for its namesake.
Cosmic Shark @8:
-I know what you mean. It’s horrible to have to put down any of our companions (I’ve been trying to get away from saying ‘pet’, as I think it denotes ownership and I don’t really like the idea of thinking of my dog Krystal or my two cats Cassie and Kayta as my ‘property’; I’m just uncertain what the proper word would be). I read the article about the killing of this cat immediately after I read about Rick Santorum’s “make ‘er keep the baby even if she’s raped” comments. Back to back like that, I wanted to hurl.
This is BTW terrorism.
It’s also a hate crime.
Pfft, everyone knows cats vote Libertarian like all self-centred little sadists.
Note to self: As much as possible, speed your way through the southern states during road trips. Don’t make a lot of eye contact, do not engage people unless necessary, and above all else, be prepared for someone to decide you’re the perfect target for whatever act of twisted fuckwittery they’ve got in mind. The goal is to get out alive and in one piece.
I’m a bit confused why this was only marked under “animal cruelty”, if someone did this to me i would definitely take this as an open threat.
There is something very odd about the police in these two stories. It’s like they don’t quite understand what crimes are being committed or what they mean.
@Insomniac:
Not all of us are insane. Believe it or not, there is a Freethinker group in Arkansas. It’s small, but it does exist.
Though, I can’t blame you for feeling that way. Some smaller towns can be pretty xenophobic.
Things like this make me wish there was a Hell. Full of very large demon cats.
Possible. Or they didn’t much care.
In my ex-area, someone burned a cross on a lawn. Their big offense was adopting a black child. The local police were pretty clueless and didn’t do much. That is until the FBI showed up and started asking questions.
The article comments are a treat, too–apparently, this is either the last evidence necessary that all conservatives are evil, or that the crime is a false-flag operation by liberals ( who of course don’t value life at all) trying to smear conservatives. Not to claim false equivalence, of course, but I think it might be safer to say that whoever did this is a sick inhuman fuck, and their politics are utterly incidental to their being a sick inhuman fuck.
I’ve heard the argument that who stands up for people? A friend pointed out that people have lots of advocates, animals don’t. As an owner of 4 (yes I know) this type of things just horrifies me and makes me glad my cats aren’t allowed outside.
Note to self: As much as possible, speed your way through the southern states during road trips. Don’t make a lot of eye contact, do not engage people unless necessary, and above all else, be prepared for someone to decide you’re the perfect target for whatever act of twisted fuckwittery they’ve got in mind. The goal is to get out alive and in one piece.
Isn’t that essentially the plot of Deliverance?
:P
Except that newts aren’t reptiles, they’re amphibians.
I dunno, Ranel. I’ve rescued a couple female cats who were unspayed and had to pop out several litters of kittens, and I’m pretty sure they, at least, would vote for candidates who endorse birth control and the right to reproductive choice.
:P
That is severely messed up.
#5, ‘Blue Arkansas’ and other sites note that the Republican incumbent’s father owns a local radio station and has used it to publicize the names and addresses of the opposition campaign staff to anyone listening. At least one other staffer for the Democrat challenger is reported to have earlier received a death threat shortly after being thus publicized.
…oh geez, I was mean to my cat this morning…
Must go make amends ASAP.
Dear Ceiling Cat, that’s… that’s just awful!
Can we get Anonymous on the case?
Newsflash: No they fucking aren’t. They’re conservatives in tie-dye. (Or anarchists in business suits. Take your pick.)
What about cephalopods?
What ..the .. FUCK!!!
I’m appalled by this cowardly, cruel, brarbaic act of political terrorism beyond words.
The sad worthless sack of shit who did that needs to be caught – and a tatoo of that dead cat tattooed lareg across his forehead plus given twenty years and a lifetime of surveillance.
Disgusting.
PS. Apparently, going on what was written on another thread (Assassin Actual – http://freethoughtblogs.com/assassin/2012/01/24/dead-kittens/#comment-17713 )
it was his 5-year-old daughter who discovered the cat.
@ 16. Russell :
Actuially no, Most newts are utterly ashamed of the fool –
See :
The idea that your political opponents would be the sort of people to kill kittens always struck me as wa-aay Over The Top hyper-partisan hyperbole.
To hear of it happen in reality today (& then to see its happened to others as well eg. #14. Ichthyic) is incredibly shocking and sobering.
Republicans are literally kitten – well grown up kitten – killers. They chosen and declared that their idenity and nature themselves by this.
(Okay some of them are. Not all or even most but still.)
Political violence aimed at humans is inexcusable but sometimes understandable. To aim it at innocent family pets like this is just beyond despicable. Needless to say, family pets are no political threat to people and have no understanding of (in)human politics.
My condolences to the family of Jake Burris, For Whatever Little they’re worth. Can barely even imagine how awful I’d feel if this were to happen to the cat & /or dog that owns me.
@35. Pinkamena, Panic Pony says:
Newsflash : Actually any dumb binary zero/sum division of people’s complex real life political views is a gross and misleading oversimplification.
In fairness to the Republicans, their campaign quickly put out a statement condemning the killing of the cat.
My cat things she owns everything and likes to kill things indescriminately. She’s a republican.
No actually it would be misleading to pretend other wise because you can point out a few outliers.
For example: humans do not have horns.
(zoidberg voice) how, HOW could this have happened!?
This is the kind of thing I point at when someone starts babbling about how liberals and conservatives act ‘just as bad’.
Where are the liberals killing family pets? Where are the liberals murdering doctors and congresswomen and children? Where are the liberal terrorists? Where are the assassinated conservative presidents?
The only conservative I can think of that was ever assassinated was Ghandi – and he was assassinated by a religious fanatic that was upset Ghandi wasn’t conservative ENOUGH.
I really wish I didn’t know about this, especially following on from the other abused cat story…
This is a sick, twisted mind spurred on by the toxic election campaigns there. The politicians can condemn this all they want but the cat was still murdered.
Is the father going to face *any* charges for broadcasting these people’s home address?
This makes me sick. Cowards always show their true colors by going after the weak and small. Poor kitty.
#18, I couldn’t agree more. I don’t care how innocuous or meaningless anyone might think this target is, if you’re utilizing fear to send somebody a message, you’re a terrorist. People need to see this bullshit for what it really is. Maybe that might get more of the population to realize how much terrorism is committed every day within their borders and against their own fellow citizens.
Probably not, but I can dream.
The article mentions that it was one of his children who found the cat. I read another article that said it was his 5-year-old daughter. I’m trying to imagine what finding a beloved pet, head smashed in and spray-painted, would do to to a kid that age and I just can’t do it.
Damn. there just isn’t sentiment fit for it. What kind of butt-brained low down maggot eating bastard does this ?
I don’t know, but if I were a maggot I wouldn’t want to be eaten by this bastard.