BY RUSSELL TURNER
PACKING UP
Living in rural Oklahoma and being involved in livestock production I understand the problems that producers face on a daily basis. One of the most aggravating problems has to deal with dogs that pack up and chase livestock. I have even seen them get so blood thirsty that they will kill baby calves and sheep. Most of the dogs belong to neighbors, by themselves they are good pets and a person would not think that they would bother anything, but when they pack up with other family pets their demeanor changes drastically. Dealing with this kind of problem can be a tricky situation; most of the time if you go to the owner of the dog the first answer you get will be “my dog wouldn’t do anything like that”. While having good relations with your neighbors is important, a livestock producer cannot allow his animals to be harmed. While I don’t have all of the answers, one old man once told me that the way to deal with the problem was to kill the packed up dogs and not say anything about it. The problem with the pack dogs and the owner’s refusal to accept the fact that their dog is causing a problem reminds me of the events happening in Ferguson, Missouri.
As I watched the mobs burning the businesses in Ferguson, from personal experience I could relate to what they are feeling. Several years ago I, too, experienced a similar crime committed against me. I could do nothing but set back and watch some of my property being burnt to the ground, because someone thought they had some kind of beef with me. Many of the people doing all of the burning and looting might seem decent if you were dealing with them one on one, but, like a bunch of packed up dogs when you put them together, the mob mentality took over. We humans like to think of ourselves as being the most intelligent creatures in the universe, but the actions in Ferguson proves otherwise.
The people’s businesses that were burnt down had nothing to do with the shooting of Michael Brown. The business owners lost a lifetime of work and sweat because of an out of control mob. The citizens of Ferguson lost the tax base in their city and many workers lost their jobs. Just like the dog owner who refused to admit that his dog was being a nuisance, the mob refused to lay any of the blame upon Mr. Brown for his actions leading to his death. The prosecutor in that county unemotionally laid out the case the grand jury had presented to them. Even though the evidence did not support indicting the police officer, the mob still demanded that he be charged. For some irrational reason they felt they were justified in their actions.
If our society is to survive we must stop listening to people with political agendas that agitate the situation. We humans need to elevate ourselves above that of a bunch of bloodthirsty dogs.
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