Trigger warning for those who may be bothered by hearing a story about a pet who died violently. There are no graphic descriptions of the injuries, but I know some people may be bothered by a story like this anyway, so I thought I would mention it out up front.
Yesterday evening as I was unloading groceries, a person in a pickup truck covered in Trump stickers blasted down the street within two feet of where I was standing at the rear of my van, and hit a cat belonging to one of my neighbors as it was crossing the street. Of course, this individual did not bother to stop. The speed limit on this street is 10 miles an hour--this person was making at least 40. At the speed they were travelling, they could have easily killed a human being as well--there are a lot of children on this street who frequently play out in the road, not to mention the adults who walk down the street to check their mail.
I rushed to the cat but she must have died instantly--I could detect no heartbeat or respirations, even though I got to her within 30 seconds of the "accident." Her nature of her injuries were too grave for me to attempt to try to do CPR--I have never been trained on resuscitating an animal, but I would have tried if I thought it was possible! She was such a sweet, friendly little cat, who would frequently come over to our yard and visit us.I was shaking with sadness and anger when I picked her up and carried her to my neighbor's house. They were understandably shocked and distraught at losing their beloved cat. I talked and cried with the woman and her daughters for a little while, and tried to comfort them as best I could.
A few years ago, I accidentally hit a possum while driving at night. The experience bothered me for days afterward--and most people, I think, would have at least a little remorse after accidentally killing an animal. I wonder if the Trumper driving that truck even cared.
Is it just me, but why does it seem like a good percentage of the people I know who are Trump supporters are maladjusted in some way? A Lack of empathy. Disregard for the safety and well-being of others. The ability to lie with ease. An overblown sense of entitlement and superiority. Supreme selfishness. And that is not even mentioning the fact that the vast majority of them are racist, misogynistic bigots who hate everybody who is not a straight white, right wing christian male.
There are also those people--almost exclusively male--who think it is somehow "macho" to be cruel to animals--and who seem to have a special hatred of cats. There are stories around here, from time to time, about cats who have been tortured to death. I suspect these kinds of disturbed people people are also likely Trumpers.
And it seems like many of them are actually proud of how cruel and evil they can be towards others. They revel in it.
Keep your furbabies inside, if you can. Especially if you live in a neighborhood with a lot of traffic—or near any Trump supporters. There are far too many people out there who simply don't care about the life of an animal--or who intentionally hurt them--just because they can.
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