Iowa State Daily A story on WHO-TV 13 Monday night showed horrifying pictures of animal cruelty right here in the heartland. Anyone who could slice the face of a dog for pleasure is not far from finding the same pleasure by cutting a person. Right now, you could torture and kill an animal on the Capitol steps, and you would be more likely to get a ticket for creating a public nuisance than for an open display of cruelty to an animal. Currently, the state of Iowa mandates that animal cruelty be punished as a misdemeanor.
Efforts are underway to change all of that, however, by making it a felony to be cruel to an animal.
Everyone should be concerned with overt acts of cruelty against animals regardless of which side of the political spectrum you might find yourself on. It has been a long-established fact that sociopaths get their start by practicing on animals. Think about all of the people you have known who got their jollies performing unspeakable acts on animals. They don't tend to be warm and inviting, upstanding citizens in all other areas of their lives. You don't see too many kids who enjoy putting firecrackers into the orifices of frogs who are described by their neighbors as angels.