Guest guest Posted July 19, 2002 Report Share Posted July 19, 2002 I have just finished writing a letter to the prosecuting attorney, Don Norris, and I encourage you all to do the same. If you have Word, it won't take too long and you are welcome to use my letter (below) as an example, though I'm not saying it's all that admirable. But if you can't find the words to begin with.... Thanks, Sue ====== July 18, 2002 Don Norris 11 S. Water Liberty, MO 64068 Dear Mr. Norris, I urge you to prosecute to the utmost of your professional ability, Mr. Charles C. Benoit, for the cruel and heinous torture of a kitten by barbecue last Tuesday. I still can not get my mind around the fact of this horrific, inexcusable incident and, if you have not fully gotten there yet yourself, I also urge you to imagine what it must have been like for this helpless, trusting, feeling creature to be tortured in this way by humans, whom it surely never would have suspected could do this to it. Countless other domestic, as well as farm, animals in this country are needlessly and cruelly tortured and killed each day, and I fear how the widespread acceptance of this kind of inhumane behavior influences our citizens (particularly our young people, Mr. Benoit included), whether they are aware of it or not. It would truly be a lamentable day if this man were to get away with his crime with only a slap on the hand. What kind of example would that be for young people in the United States - and abroad? It is mindless and unconscionable, and such behavior is only the beginning. As not only the prosecuting attorney in this case, but a citizen of your community, you have the responsibility to see that wrongs like this do not go unnoticed or unpunished. Just as importantly, if not more so, is making sure that the mainstream media fully and truthfully reports this incident and its effects on people nation-wide, so that the less-informed out there realize there exists a dangerous mindset that must be heeded and stopped. I hope you will make certain that this case is highly publicized. Surely there can only be one just outcome. I truly appreciate your efforts in this matter, and wish you the best in your endeavors. I do hope that Liberty will be able to fully live up to the intended meaning of its name, not the kind of liberty that this amoral man has taken against a fellow living creature. Sincerely, Sue Blankman, San Francisco Vegetarian Society (address left out) ----Original Message Follows---- inthepresent [sFBAVeg] urge prosecution-grilling kitten alive Fri, 19 Jul 2002 17:15:00 EDT Hi Everyone. I got this from In Defense of Animals. I know it's not on vegetarianism, per se, but thought that people would be interested in knowing what they could do to see justice for this 7 week old kitten. Stephanie IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS: URGENT ALERT!! ********************************************** July 17, 2002 LETTERS NEEDED: KITTEN GRILLED ALIVE WHILE BBQ PARTY GUESTS CHEER MURDERER ON //////////////////////////////////////////////// SEND LETTERS TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Missouri prosecuting attorney CLAY County Don Norris 11 S. Water Liberty, MO 64068 816-792-7657 816-792-7778 FAX To find the docket number and judge assigned to case once it is available Circuit Clerk: James S. Rooney Justice Center 11 South Water Street P.O. Box 218 Liberty, Missouri 64069-0218 Circuit Clerks Phone Numbers: Circuit Clerk: (816) 792-7704 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////// BACKGROUND: Man arrested for burning kitten on grill A neighborhood friend of Sherry Scott holds the kitten they named 'Lucky,' in a recent handout photo. -------- LIBERTY, Missouri (AP) -- A man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly burning a kitten on a barbecue grill as several other people stood around and watched in amusement. A witness pulled the scorched, 7-week-old tabby from the hot coals, but it was severely injured and had to be put to death, police said. " They kept saying, `Meow, meow,' and they were poking at it with a stick, " said Sherry Scott, who burned her hand grabbing the kitten. Charles C. Benoit, 24, was charged with animal abuse, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. He was jailed on $10,000 bail. Jim Roberts, spokesman for the Clay County prosecutor's office, said he does not expect anyone else to be charged, because no witnesses could identify the others. Scott said that on Friday night, she saw 10 or 12 people at the barbecue grill in the courtyard of the apartment complex where she lives. Scott said she asked what they were cooking, and they said it was a cat. She said the group taunted her, daring her to rescue the cat. She said the group scattered when she threatened to call police. She said she pulled the kitten from where it had been shoved into the coals at the back of the grill. Its tail, whiskers, fur, eyes and throat were scorched. " I called him Lucky because I thought I got him out of there just in time, " she said. Scott said she and other residents stayed up Friday night trying to nurse the kitten with an eye dropper of milk. But animal control officers decided that because of its respiratory injuries and inability to swallow food, it had to be destroyed. " If you would have seen him, you would have cried, " said Sheri Simpson, one of the residents who helped care for the kitten. Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In Defense of Animals (www.idausa.org) is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats. IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS * 131 CAMINO ALTO, SUITE E * MILL VALLEY, CA 94941 * 415-388-9641 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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