Clinical psychologist Jill P. Weber states that while she is unwilling to diagnose a child as a sociopath, abuse of animals is an indicator that a child needs help. A child with an interest in watching others suffer may start by inflicting harm on animals.
A 2009 article in Molecular Psychology points to a lack of empathy and remorse as a common trait among sociopaths. While a psychopath knows the difference between right and wrong, it makes no difference to him. If a child frequently hurts or bullies others, but displays no noticeable emotion when their victims express pain, they may have a glitch in the brain network connecting the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala. This neurological trait has been noted in sociopaths and psychopaths, and may explain their inability to care about the harm they cause or the consequences of their actions. A lack of conscience and compassion are classic traits of a sociopath.
Do foxes need to be controlled in certain circumstances? Almost certainly. Should that be done by ripping live animals to shreds with a pack of hounds? I have yet to find a single human being explain how that is morally or ethically justifiable.
I have heard many arguments to support hunting foxes. Control of vermin being the main one. Can anyone argue that a large pack of hounds, a stable of horses and plenty of manpower to potentially hunt 1 or 2 foxes by ripping them to pieces while still alive is an effective form of pest control?
In response to my argument about cruelty I had the response “but we hardly catch any!”
If you have a serious economic problem caused by predation from foxes then by all means, if you can morally justify it, shoot them. A quick, clean, relatively painless, economically viable kill.
If you feel such control requires you to dress up with 20 or 30 mates, take out a pack of hounds and rip a live creature to death then, cut it’s tail off and smear it’s blood over the face of a child, almost certainly, you have sociopathic tendencies.
One argument I’ve heard is that it is an excellent form of exercise for people, hounds and horses. Well that’s OK then. As long as everyone is getting their exercise we can justify ripping a live animal to pieces. I guess the thought that everyone has different abilities in regard to riding and that a drag hunt might best serve the overall skill set of those taking part in the hunt hadn’t occurred; but we wouldn’t want anyone thinking too much would we.
I have so called Christian friends who support, encourage and engage in fox hunting. I do not disown them because it is more important to engage them. I do, however, wonder how they balance their Christian view with the cruelty of ripping live animals to shreds.
Of course, a simple response from most is that the fox is a predator and causes huge damage to livelihoods. I refer to my previous statements and responses from hunters. They admit it is not an effective form of control. And it simply does not answer the question of unnecessary cruelty. Shoot the pest, by all means. Do not rip it to shreds while alive.
If we are to justify ripping animals to shreds while still living tell me where we stop? Seriously, if an animal is guilty of an offence (we being animals as well) where do we stop?
winnyssite 