“Do as I say, not as I do” is the message to children on a Hamas-run television program. According to Forbes.com, one of the show’s characters, a man in a bee costume, swings cats by the tail and throws rocks at tigers in a zoo, while another character admonishes children not to be cruel to animals. Is this a mixed message? Children are notorious for imitating behavior seen on TV, so it is reasonable to think that they are far more apt to repeat the cat-swinging act, than to remember what the “actual” message is: be kind to animals. PETA has spoken out against the program and while they are sometimes themselves considered extremists, in this case I believe their outrage is justified. Unfortunately, public outcry from the United States is not something that phases Hamas, as seen by their anti-U.S./anti-Israeli cartoon character “Farfour,” the Mickey Mouse look-alike, who met was “martyred” on the same program earlier this summer. So what good can come from this story? Perhaps the American people will be further inclined to remind their own children that animal cruelty is unacceptable and all creatures need to be treated with respect.
Wed, Aug 15, 2007
Animal Cruelty