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On Cruelty for Personal Amusement
Jul. 26th, 2007 08:41 amI have recently read two things in LJ that have seriously disturbed me. Seriously.
As many of you know, I have a core belief that the root of true evil a lack of empathy. Lack of empathy makes atrocities such as torture and genocide possible. So when I read about people shooting at someone trapped in a pit as "an amusement" or people tricking others into drinking something that will make them sick "funny" I am horrified. No joke.
I believe that there is a connection between the impulse that would make anyone think shooting at a trapped living entity -- be it a person or animal -- "funny" and the Elizabethans that thought tying a monkey to a pony and throwing it into a pit to be torn apart by dogs "funny". It is connected to the impulse that would make it possible for humans to try to burn a trapped kitten alive or that would find dog fighting 'entertaining'. When harming others for personal amusement becomes "funny" is it any surprize that soldiers would take pictures of humiliated prisoners?
This sort of thing is wrong and should be stood up to.
As many of you know, I have a core belief that the root of true evil a lack of empathy. Lack of empathy makes atrocities such as torture and genocide possible. So when I read about people shooting at someone trapped in a pit as "an amusement" or people tricking others into drinking something that will make them sick "funny" I am horrified. No joke.
I believe that there is a connection between the impulse that would make anyone think shooting at a trapped living entity -- be it a person or animal -- "funny" and the Elizabethans that thought tying a monkey to a pony and throwing it into a pit to be torn apart by dogs "funny". It is connected to the impulse that would make it possible for humans to try to burn a trapped kitten alive or that would find dog fighting 'entertaining'. When harming others for personal amusement becomes "funny" is it any surprize that soldiers would take pictures of humiliated prisoners?
This sort of thing is wrong and should be stood up to.
