From: WHITLOCK@vaxb.gbus.virginia.edu (Reid E. Whitlock)
Subject: Re: KILLING DOGS & CATS THAT TRESPASS ON MY PROPERTY
Organization: Darden Center, University of Virginia
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 23:48:31 GMT

In article <10242@cernvax.cern.ch> steveb@cernvax.cern.ch (Steve Bougerolle) writes:
>In <WHITLOCK.39@vaxb.gbus.virginia.edu> WHITLOCK@vaxb.gbus.virginia.edu (Reid E. Whitlock) writes:

>>I'd prefer them dead, on principle --- they need to be punished for the 
>>trespassing they have already done --- but I's settle for their permanent 
>>removal from the property. Notice that I haven't suggested a guerilla 
>>revenge campaign against the owners of the offending creatures. Since 
>>animals do not yet, thank goodness, have any rights under the law in our 
>>fair country, by rights I should take the owners to court. Again, a problem. 
>>I don't have the time for all that --- and ---I'd ruin my reputation as a 
>>model neighbor. Far preferable would be the complete (but mysterious) 
>>disappearance of said unwanted interlopers. HOW TO DO IT. THAT's my question.

>So let me get this straight:

>It doesn't bother you to *BE* a lousy neighbour.

Of course I want to be a "good" neighbor. Definition: one who does not 
infringe in any way on my neighbors' "rights" or legitimate sensitivities. 
There is no disputing that the neighbors have no RIGHT to send their dogs 
and cats my way. They should let them wander on THEIR land, not mine. As for 
legitimate sensitivities, that's a stickier one. The neighbor could 
legitimately say that I was offending his/her sensitivies if I paraded nude 
in MY yard in view of his/her window. I would have a "right" to so parade, 
but I would not be practicing good neighborly habits to do so. Is there a 
parallel with the dogs and cats? NO. If I kill the dog and/or cat WHICH IS 
ILLEGALLY ON MY PROPERTY, the neighbor has foregone his/her right to 
petition, recourse or redress by permitting the trespass. The neighbor is 
responsible for the actions of the animal!!! If the neighbor would be 
saddened or angered by the disappearance of said animals, he/she could 
easily avoid this sadness/anger by KEEPING THE ANIMALS ON HIS/HER OWN 
GODDAMN LAND !!!

I am a good neighbor. I respect the letter of the law and expect others to 
do so, especially where MY rights to an animal-free environment ON MY OWN 
LAND ONLY are infringed upon. 



>It DOES bother you not to have a reputation as a ``model neighbour.''

Yes it does. This is why I prefer a non-confrontational means of eliminating 
this scourge.


>You are contemptible. 

I am not. I am justly territorial. I want the law upheld and do not want to 
be a victim of my neighbor's selfishness. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DISREGARD FOR 
THE LAW BY MY NEIGHBORS.!! Why does that not outrage you ?


 You have just proudly displayed your lack of
>conscience to the rest of the world, and you expect us to applaud?

I don't want applause. I want advice for the non-confrontational, yet 
decisive resolution of a serious problem. One that I am sure is shared by 
other domestic animal haters (hey where are you all? Come to my defense!)
  
>I willrepeat myself

No Need

>; you are contemptible, and you appear amoral as well.

Contemptible no. Amoral, yes. Righteous. Definitely.

>Even worse,

Not worse, better, yet


> I am now wondering if you are both dangerous

Yes, I AM dangerous. Like a razor blade. Like my neighbor's worst nightmare. 
My knowledge of this elicits a desire on my part for restraint and reason. 
Beacuse if I unleashed my dangerous qualities, there would probably be 
community escalation of ill-will and un-neighborliness, and THAT's what I 
want to avoid.


> and contemptible.
>Anybody else out there wonder what other 
nasty habits this piece of human>trash has?

Strong words. Non-substantiated, and certainly not very constructive to the 
dialogue.


> God knows how many of them 
there may be; obviously he wouldn't>tell us 

Of course I'd tell you! I have nothing to hide or fear. If I knew which of 
my crusades for justice and a life of peaceful non-infringement would 
similarly disgust and outrage you "a priori" I would reveal them openly to 
this forum. Unfortunately, no other issues have so provoked me of late. When 
another one does, I'll be sure to air it in this forum!


>because that would ruin his 
reputation as a model professor 

speculation? how about underpaid lowly janitor with an interest in PC's ?

>and>upstanding citizen.

>Any volunteers in his area who would be willing to look up his address and
>send his posting to all his neighbours?  That would solve his reputation
>problems once and for all, I think.

It would probably lead to the neighbors tying up their animals too, since 
they'd know I was serious and would, without hesitation kill their precious 
little pusses and pooches. That would, in fact, not be a bad "solution" at 
all. But it lacks elegance, diplomacy and finality (as another writer in 
this forum well stated, sometimes you can eliminate the offendors, but they 
are often replaced by their owners). I guess I shouldn't expect elegance or 
diplomacy from one who refers to fellow net-writers as "pieces of trash", 
though, should I?

>Incidentally, Mr. Whitlock, the first sentence in your paragraph above was
>very revealing.  They need to be punished for trespassing???  How many
>"varmints" do you suppose understand the concept of property rights?  I rather
>doubt THEY need to be punished.

Then you agree that it is the owners I should have punished. Alas! we come 
full circle. How do I do that while simultaneously maintaining "good 
neighbor" status in my community. You see, if the varmints simply "
disappear", the neighbors aren't upset with me, AND the problem is removed. 
Elegant. Diplomatic. Final....  Get the idea now...?


  Certainly your idea of punishment can
>improve absolutely nothing from their point of view, since they will have
>no point of view after you kill them.

That does tend to be one of the side effects of death. How perceptive of you 
to underline this point to the net readership.



>  This sort of reasoning strikes me as
>pretty disturbed.

>It worries me that somebody with (apparently) such a twisted view of the
>world could reach such a high position in academia.

Speculation again.

Maybe I'm just a strugglin' little guy tryin to keep his head above water 
and hold on to his little piece of the pie. Privacy, home ownership. Aren't
these the values the entire middle class strives for? That's what I've 
always been told. I don't remember dog and cat trespass rights being given 
as much weight in the American dream....


Reid

>-- 
>_|\ |V| /|_  Steve Bougerolle, U. of British Columbia Physics Dept.
>\  \| |/  /   and the OPAL experiment, CERN, Geneva CH
> >_______<    STEVEB@CERNVAX.UUCP  STEVEB@CERNVM.CERN.CH
>     !        STEVEB@CERNVM.BITNET  45397::STEVEB (HEPnet)