These were not bad people. I bet many of them shun fur, cringe at hunting and coo at their pets. And most would probably have joined the mob against the frog child. But the obvious parallel was not lost on my kid. He asked me to call the sheriff.
Children say strange things.
After all, there had to be some perfectly logical reason why torturing a frog for sport is considered an act of cruelty while torturing a fish for sport is legal and regarded as an uplifting and wholesome recreation for the entire family. I told my son that, instead of calling the sheriff, we'd go to the library first thing in the morning to find some answers. In the evening, channel surfing beat out unpacking for several hours. The morning arrived all too soon. A fish's mouth part turns out to be especially nerve - rich.