Happy day “before Thanksgiving.” Some observers have written how the holidays are the best time of year to do something crappy, since everyone’s too busy to pay a lot of attention to the news. So, let’s look at a couple of very recent stories that have made the news, but, for whatever reason, haven’t quite gotten the attention they seem to deserve.
And you thought child molestation was bad … Former Roman Catholic priest John Fiala of Texas is a former priest because he was accused of sexual abuse of a minor two years ago. Fiala apparently really didn’t like being accused. Rather than deal with the crisis by delving into those old Catholic standbys, confession and repentance, Fiala tried something different. According to the police in Dallas, Texas, Fiala attempted to hire a hit man to kill the teenager for $5,000. Which makes sense, really, when you consider that the teenage boy says Fiala on occasions forced him to have sex at gunpoint (which would have been a new low for the Catholic priesthood, until this hit man thing came along). The 52-year-old priest was arrested, and is in jail on $700,000 bond. The abuse allegedly happened when Fiala was a priest in Rocksprings, Texas, a rural area known for — no snickering, please — sheep and goat herding. Read more about the case here.
And you thought taking joke photos of sedated kittens at Charlotte’s animal shelter was a bad idea … Sgt. Charles Jones, a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper who was fired for kicking his canine partner and lifting it off the ground by its neck, will get his job back. Why? A judge ruled that the “techniques” Jones used — now get this — are no worse than others used all the time by the K-9 unit. So, just how are those brave dogs “trained”? According to the judge, the Highway Patrol’s “methods” include beating the dogs with sticks, whipping the dogs, and even using stun guns on them. Frankly, I don’t want to hear any defense of those “training methods.” Whatever you could say to justify the dogs’ mistreatment, I simply don’t care to hear it. There is no justification for it, even if the dog winds up catching Osama bin Laden. Animal cruelty is the province of (excuse my Southernness here) some of the sorriest assholes humanity can produce — whether they’re “peace officers” or not. The state should put a stop to the K-9 Corps’ practices, and if that’s not possible, then dissolve the K-9 Corps and find another way to catch criminals, for Pete’s sake. And on that happy note, here’s hoping you have a great Thanksgiving!
This article appears in Nov 23-29, 2010.
Dear John Fiala,
We may have the perfect job for you.
Sincerely,
Janet Napolitano
Most departments don’t treat their dogs like that.
I have seen the bond between K-9s and their handlers. Most handlers would never tolerate abuse of their “partner” by ANYONE.
This is very widespread, and it is done more for power and control and personal amusement than for “training.” I worked in law enforcement for 18 years, and have been fighting this abuse ever since. On my website look at the chapter “Denials and Justifications, because they will tell you all the time that they don’t do it, and that these are “isolated incidents.” Do NOT believe them! The dog handler perps and other PD employees got pretty nasty with me, too. They thought it was funny to name their K9 unit the “Hang ‘Em High Club,” because they often hanged their dogs to unconsciousness.
I love what John Grooms said in the article: “Animal cruelty is the province of … some of the sorriest assholes humanity can produce.” How true that is, and that includes authority figures who torture animals that are there to assist them and be put into dangerous situations. They say “most departments don’t treat their dogs like that.” Oh, so only a few do, and the majority of the tough guys can’t organize and put pressure on the abusers to stop it? Why’s that? They seem to be able to influence each other to conform in other ways. No, I believe this horrific abuse is widespread in K9 “training” as Sue said above. Sadistic, tyrannical police officers are one of the many reasons our society is so screwed up, and is also a symptom. People: Wise up, or face the terrible consequences of the further downgrading of our societies, such as priest John Fiala above. DO NOT EXCUSE PEOPLE’S ANIMAL ABUSE OF ANY KIND, LEGAL OR NOT. That is at the root of all our problems.
See: stoplynching.com
for info. on K9 training abuse.
What I don’t understand is why is are govenment not stopping this? They sure have the noses in everything else!!
The government only has it’s nose in what will benefit the government and the special interests that run it. The PD’s, sheriffs, troopers, and military are all part of the government…the fox guarding the hen house.
I love the hypocrisy of the left: save the whales! don’t wear fur! stop the inhumane treatment of dogs! Killing babies? Oh, that’s fine, go for it.
ALL life is precious.
Oh God, I see the Flip Benham OSA cult folks are back here again. No babies have been killed. This article has nothing to do with that, and for what it’s worth, Democrats don’t believe in “killing babies”. That is much too broad of a statement and really sums up all the teabaggers.
Oh, and by the way, figures that it would be one of these sorry ass NC Highway Patrol troopers. We have all seen how corrupted and sick they are. This only proves it more.
One huge factor in this abuse of your dog that will protect and help you is that the officers are desensitized to abuse and cruelty. I sure wouldn’t want them on the street protecting your children or questioning your teenage son. Just read about two cops who made a 16 year old they were handcuffing to question lay down in the middle of the lane and a car ran over him. The court did not hold the police officers responsible.
What kind of poop heads are they hiring off the street? I have read the kind of personalities they hire would be in prison if they were not cops.
This is so pathetic.
All the dogs should be removed from the department where this cop worked and they should be required to attend and pass a certified and humane dog training program. (Actually I would like to see some animal advocacy group file a civil suit against these cruel thugs.)
That pathetic scrub. He wants his job back so he can get the 5 years retroactive pay – then he’ll retire his sorry, abusive, lazy ass. Someone ought to kick the crap out of him while holding him up by his neck…see how he likes it.
That said, I have to give Richo a hero’s salute, he didn’t bite the hand that abused him. I hope he went to a loving home and lived a life of comfort after he was freed from his ‘partner’.
Finally, if this was accepted or standard practice to ‘train’ animals in that way, then there was something seriously wrong with the NC K-9 training policies. Richo should have sued….I’m all for giving an animal standing to sue their abusers.