Our beloved Gopher Tortoise Harriet, on her way back to her tunnel after eating.
Yesterday our local news, as usual, found a heinous, outrageous story about an animal that had been tortured and killed.
It had been murdered.
The animal at the center of this media firestorm, was an Endangered Gopher Tortoise.
As it was airing yesterday, I looked out the kitchen window at our beloved Harriet who was sitting under the tree, munching quietly on a tiny plant.
She looked so peaceful, so happy.
She does not know that she is one of the lucky ones.
Many in this state are not, they do not have a safe place to live where they are not disturbed.
Gopher Tortoises here are continuously being uprooted at the whim and pleasure of greedy developers who want to build new Condos, new Shopping Centers, new anything, new everything.
Just build baby!
And get ” those damn turtles out of their way, they have things to build! “
Because they are protected, they are supposed to be moved as new things are built.
Do we really believe that they truly care if a Tortoise accidentally gets buried alive in the process?
Oops!
My heart broke for the one that was tortured, who suffered and died.
I said a small prayer for it and then immediately became angry for what has now become so common here and elsewhere in the world, constant, unnecessary, violence directly aimed at innocent animals who cannot fight back, or defend themselves.
Why has this abuse against animals become so commonplace, have we all become immune to it?
Are we all now completely desensitized?
This should come as no shock, considering the fact that nearly 100% of every news story, every single day, is about violence.
Two things are now quite apparent to me and they should be to you as well.
Our News media here in Florida seems to be obsessed with stories that involve an animal being hurt.
We also have some very sick people living in this state, who seem to take great pleasure in harming animals.
Were those who committed this terrible crime hardened criminals?
No.
Were these gang members meeting an initiation requirement?
No.
The dastardly perpetrators in this case of vile and extreme evil, were two teenage girls.
Their reason.
Only they know the answer to this.
Threats have been made against the girls and their families.
FWC are naturally deeply involved and the father of one of the girls has made an understandable comment that there will be ” no more Facebook or Smart phones “ in their house.
He will allow the local Law Enforcement and the Legal System to take its course.
The entire series of events surrounding this despicable crime should be making an even bigger case for a return to some sort of morality, humanity and just plain compassion in people today.
Where, as a species, have we gone wrong, that now our children are doing these kinds of things to not only innocent, but Endangered Creatures, that have no way to protect themselves.
So, what started out yesterday as a local horror story, has now become a Global Horror story, as it has been picked up by News agencies everywhere.
How we must look to the world?
What must they think of us?
As Parents, as Humans, we had better take a long, hard, cold, look in the mirror.
Our lack of Humanity and Compassion has come home to roost.
Are our children now capable of murdering wild things, just for the pleasure of watching them die?
Dear Parents, dear Readers, will you please talk with your children and ask them what they think about this story?
If we are to survive as a species, we had better start finding out who and what we really are.
And what we are capable of doing to innocents?
We had better have an answer to this question: Murdered, why?
There are three links below, I want nothing more to do with this story:
Two girls face threats after torturing and killing turtle in Florida
Florida teens face charges for torturing, killing threatened tortoise, posting video online
Florida Girls Light Tortoise on Fire, Set Off Hunt for Vigilante Justice
Walking with the Alligators 
Whoever is cruel will suffer from cruelty – this is the law of cause and effect, and these silly girls will certainly be self-punished . I admire your sense of compassion and love. Yes, there are people unkind and cruel, who don’t realize animals are suffering beings, but there are also people like you who take care of them and male compassion alive. You’re blessed! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your very kind thoughts.
We need a million voices to protect them.
Who will step up and speak for them?
The problem is that we are still obsessed about survival of our own species. Instead we should think about how we can survive as part of an entire ecosystem.
Yes, we are in complete agreement Anarette!
I know, that is why I enjoy your posts so much 🙂
Great minds……..
Reblogged this on "OUR WORLD".
Thank you so much for sharing this utterly tragic story.
Utterly horrific. It saddens my heart to hear of cases like these, and there are many others who behave like this, we just don’t hear about them all.
Teach your children to respect life.
– sonmicloud.
It all begins at home, I completely agree!
But, don’t you think that this has become symptomatic of humanity? Money rules?
There is no pleasure in seeing a life tortured and killed, no matter how small or large the creature. Something is sick with the minds that think so. I feel very bad for those 2 girls and hope that through this, that turtle did not die in vain but that the girls learn something positive and lasting that changes their own hearts.
Thank you Xena.
It is so hard to find any good in this.
My heart is broken for the animal.
Evil people, evil deeds, why?
Kudos, IF the father is serious about letting law enforcement and the legal system take its course. Perhaps the girls will learn a lesson and reform to the point where they educate and inform others of their stupidity.
Still, it’s the developers who will proceed with no integrity and quite likely, no penalties.
Thanks for sheltering, loving and protecting Harriet!
Thank you Eric. Agreed.
As for loving and protecting Harriet, it is the least we can do.
I can’t even begin to wrap my head around this. I feel nauseous. I hope somehow those girls are helped into a new paradigm. I am so disturbed. I can’t think about it anymore. It is so terrible.
Dear Karen.
You grieve as I do. My heart is hurting and I am angry.
This just keeps happening.
Why?
Here on the east coast, the aquifer is almost totally paved over and the politicians and builders can’t seem to understand why 2/3 of the wells dug come up salt water – heaven forbid they listen to one word a scientist told them!! It has been explained hundreds of times. But, like you say – they keep building and maneuvering Nature at their will…when they’re all done and things are a complete disaster – saying “I’m sorry” – just won’t cut, it will be too late.
Understand and agree with you.
We have left terrible deep wounds and painful scars on this now suffering Planet.
Humans do not deserve to inherit this beautiful place, they are not worthy of it.
Leave it all to the Giant Cockroaches or Palmettos that are everywhere here in Florida.
They were here before we came and will be here long after we are gone.
Isaac Bashevis Singer said for the animals it is an eternal Treblinka. This infuriates me, ,makes so very sad and hopeless!
Your reaction, as well as many of the others here, are why I so hate to relay these stories.
Do I have the right to break your hearts along with mine?
It is a double-edged sword for me with each tragic story.
Do I pass it on, or keep it to myself?
I do not ever wish to have any of you hurt as much as I do.
So truly sorry~
Not a thing to be sorry about!!! I admire what you do. Better to know than not know. Why shouldn’t we’ve disturbed when so many animals suffer or die tragic deaths. I reblogged your post and am thinking of posting the Paul McCartney slaughterhouse video that made me almost entirely vegetarian but it is brutal and I think people will not look at it. The scenes stick in my mind still. Thank you for what you do.
Thank you for being here and sharing this.
I am so Blessed to have such wonderful, loving caring Readers.
God Bless you for your beautiful heart.
Thank YOU for endlessly fighting for the animals! And for caring so much!!! We can’t give up.
Reblogged this on MOONSIDE.
This is sickening, I have nothing to offer in the way of a reason – there can be no rational reason to hurt a peaceful animal like this tortoise. The root problem is that parents are not supervising their children; parents are working, kids have nothing to do and these kids have not been taught anything in the way of values or morals. Zero! 😦
Exactly the point that I was making.
AMEN!
*Near tears.* Compassion must be taught, to some degree…. Truly. Our focus needs to be changed, explored more BEFORE these atrocities occur.
My little tree hugger, what more can we do?
These were two young girls.
How did they come to this state of mind in Florida of all places, where beauty and wildlife reign supreme?
It is all a gift and if we take it for granted, or worse kill it, what will we all be left with?
Like you, I am overwhelmed.
So sickening and heart breaking. I don’t believe people who do things like that are right in the head, and they should probably be locked up for life.
Yes they must be very disturbed to be capable of this kind of horror.
I really have to comment, this is just such a shocking story, heartbreakingly so. The poor creature, so defenceless, what this poor animal must have suffered is unbearable to contemplate. Why do people do such things, really there has to be something seriously wrong with the two teenage girls or indeed anyone who derives pleasure from the suffering of a helpless animal. I hope they get the help or the punishment they so deserve. Unfortunately such cruelty takes place the world over and is on the increase.
You are so right.
The people here in Florida are outraged with this story and these two girls.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
We pretty much all feel the same way on this one.
Bummer… I remember a child some kids I met with once and a while to play sand lot baseball were doing something strange in a circle. I walked down and discovered they were torturing a poor little tortoise we have in West Texas that come up once in a while after rain. Someone had shot it several times with arrows. It was the first time I’d felt disgust for humans… something in my old woke up that day and an anger even I didn’t understand. I remember chasing every one of these guys off they feared me so much at that moment – and, then I got that tortoise and took it home to my mom and we took it to a vet. The vet did his best but the poor little creature died.
I remember finding the boy who did this and almost wanted to beat him to death… but didn’t figuring it wouldn’t do much good, he was a little – what do you say now, autistic – of course they didn’t have names for anything like that back then, but one just knew when someone was different. So instead told his folks. We didn’t see much of him after around the neighborhood. Shame. He was a nice guy otherwise. But the other guys remembered and didn’t do a thing to critters, at least if they knew I was around…
Dang… saddens me to here such stupidity still goes on!
Your thoughts, although extremely tragic, are appreciated.
This is all such a sad commentary on our Species.
The two girls at the center of this story, have just been arrested.
Oh, good… well I hope they punish them, but not so hard they become bitter… just want to scare them enough to learn and change…. if that’s even possible in adults… dang! Sad…
Thank you so much for the follow. More blessing to you and yours.
It is such a refreshing joy to find a place of kindness and peace, such as yours!
Your comment is a great honor. All thanks to God for His wisdom He has given to us all. May His name be glorified forever in the name of Jesus Christ.
The more mankind is further from nature, the further we are from peace.
AMEN!