The big debate: Snake eats puppy
by Paul Schwalbach on Apr. 26, 2007, under Opinion‘I hope he gets put in with lifers who happen to belong to PETA.’
The news: A Glendale man faces up to a year in prison in an animal cruelty case in which a 3-week-old puppy was fed to an 8-foot-long boa constrictor.
Your take: Feed the man to a snake. No, to a shark. No, to a group of animal-rights activists. Mostly, the Citizen’s online community feels no punishment is too gruesome. “The degree that some humans go to inflict pain, suffering, abuse, neglect never ceases to amaze me,” Michael C. says.
But a minority says that, hey, it’s a jungle out there, and even snakes have to eat. “What is the snake supposed to eat? A carrot?” asks Ron K. “Why is it so much worse to feed a snake a puppy than a rat?” questions Evadean S. Answer: C’mon, Evadean. Because a puppy is, you know, a puppy.
Hurray for art
The news: The city votes to subsidize a downtown arts organization’s rent for the next three years.
Your take: In a bit of a surprise, a majority supports the decision as a smart way to revitalize downtown and make Tucson a nicer place to live. “Art contributes to the fabric of the community,” G G. says.
A few want the free enterprise system to prevail. “It’s nothing more than another ripoff of taxpayers. If the ‘art’ were good enough, it would pay for itself,” Jeff B. says.
Rosie off the air
The news: Controversial commentator Rosie O’Donnell to disappear from “The View.”
Your take: You hold O’Donnell in higher esteem than the guy accused of feeding the puppy to the snake. But just slightly.
She does have a few defenders. Equating O’Donnell with Don Imus, Rick M. notes, “Funny thing about shock jocks . . . . They say something shocking and people are shocked. Go figure.”
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