Not a food post--in fact, it's kind of a downer

I sometimes think there's no justice in the world. If there were, George W. Bush would not be president, and 2,100-plus soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians would most likely still be alive. If there were justice, Pat Robertson would have been chased to satellite radio for the venom that spews from his mouth. I'm no Howard Stern fan, but I'm pretty sure that the crap that he peddles is more innocuous than the most of what Robertson (or Jerry Falwell) says. The Bush administration is trampling human rights in the name of security, heedless of Ben Franklin's admonition that those who would sacrifice a little liberty for security deserve neither. Their culture of life begins at conception and ends at birth. And most of them eat meat, an industry that causes the deaths of about 10 billion sentient beings every year in the U.S. alone. But then they're just animals, right?

But what has me frothing now is an article I read yesterday in The Washington Post. Last year, a Northern Virginia man stomped his then-girlfriend's 14-year-old declawed cat to death. He claimed the cat bit his ankle after he leaned down to pick up a sandwich he dropped. He claimed he was defending himself. But when my cat bites, it's a quick nip or snap, and then she runs away; she's not the type to latch on, and I've never met a cat that is. And the judge didn't exactly buy the "he latched on to my leg, Your Honor" line.

The man was convicted of maliciously murdering poor Luke the cat, and the judge sentenced him to three years in prison, all suspended. He will never be allowed to "own" any animals for the rest of his life. Luke's person, reached by phone, said that she was "pleased" the man would not be getting any jail time! PLEASED?! PLEASED?! If anyone killed my cat in such a fashion, I'd want this person to have the maximum time in prison. I'd want the harshest penalties. My cat is my baby, and many people I know who live with cats and dogs feel the same way.

Sadly, there will be no real justice for Luke the cat. You were a handsome boy, Luke. You deserved better.