by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)
Good day readers….I’d like to start off by saying Michael has done an excellent job in explaining crush videos in a recent article for pictures-of-cats.org – Crush Videos. I ask that you take the time to read his article here before moving onto mine. I plan to give everyone an update on where HR5566 stands and what actions need to be taken immediately to get it passed.I’m afraid this is going to be an extra complicated article, but it’s important to understand what’s happening with all aspects of the crush video issue. I’ve never tackled this subject before because I just don’t like to think of someone purposely stepping on a small animal (usually a kitten) and I surely don’t EVER plan to watch a video. It’s beyond my tolerance level.
When I first heard of crush videos this year, I was misled into believing these were women (usually) who hated cats and wanted to abuse them in videos for entertainment purposes. Crush videos can be found on many internet sites, including porn and file sharing sites. As it turns out, seeing a cat being crushed to death by a high heel is a type of fetish. In other words, we’re dealing with perverts who get sexual satisfaction from watching these, as well as cat haters. I have to believe anyone who does this to a defenseless kitten is NOT an animal lover off-screen.
This link offers a Facebook page linking to petitions, but I strongly recommend contacting your State Representative as time is running out and this issue is too important to depend on a petition. I list it only as a reference stating that our teenagers are downloading and sharing these videos. The FBI and the American Psychiatric Association have both linked animal cruelty to deviant and Anti Social Personality and Conduct Disorder.
The United States is a very unstable economic place for a teenager to grow up these days, and many are getting their entertainment from watching crush videos. They become fascinated and decide to involve themselves in animal abuse. Which is only one step away from abusing people. Just out of curiosity, I’d like to know the percentage of crush videos uploaded by teens1.
Between the sexual perverts and the fascinated teens, this law MUST be passed on a national level.
I’d like to give the readers here the addresses of who to contact to ensure HR5566 passes with the next round of the U.S. House of Representatives. I read somewhere that this should happen the week of November 15, 2010. The bill was unanimously passed by the U.S. Senate on September 28. If not approved by the House of Representatives by late December, it will die forever. We don’t need to have to start over on this one, cat lovers.
I realize the House of Representatives has a lot on the agenda with the upcoming session. I believe the animals deserve a voice for two reasons. First, they are innocent creatures and do NOT deserve any of this. Second, this country will be in a lot worse trouble if the making and distribution of crush video’s are allowed to continue. Not only is it dangerous for our teenagers, who represent a large percentage of those who download them. It also looks bad on the United States as a country to condone these videos.
Nancy Pelosi can be reached at (202) 225 – 4965 or here. House Majority Leader Steny Hoye can be reached at 1705 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 — Phone – (202) 225-4131. Fax – (202) 225-4300. An email form is listed here.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund has also joined this fight and offers a state-by-state form that is easy to complete in protest of crush videos. It’s at this URL and all you have to enter to get started is your zip code.
The only two issues I’ve found defending crush videos is actually defending something entirely unrelated. Our country prides itself on the 1st Amendment Rights of the U.S. Constitution. For those readers in other countries, this is the right to free speech. We must not allow this to stop HR5566 from passing. One group has gone so far as to suggest this will create a snowball effect that will eventually spill over into what we can watch online and for entertainment.
Here are the few Senator’s who earlier in the year voted NO on the bill. Not only did they stress they believe state laws should handle crush videos, they also defended videos depicting animal torture for educational purposes, These include inhumane slaughterhouses, hunting, and even customary veterinary procedures. Any idea on what those “customary veterinary procedures” are anyone? A few Senators believe these would somehow fall under the ban and not be allowed2.
Comments, anyone? Is it acceptable to ban one form of animal abuse on film and not all others? Or should there be guidelines? That would be like saying it’s OK to abuse some animals and not others. Whether for education or entertainment. U.S. law can be so crazy!
It seems as though anytime the government is involved, there’s a Catch-22 situation waiting to happen. Can’t we fix this one issue without creating another issue from it?
I’m nowhere near as knowledgeable as Michael on this subject, but I hope I’ve presented what must be done to stop these videos in an easy to understand manner.
As I said before, President Obama is ready to sign this into law. Let’s all do our part to make sure it’s put on his desk next week.
Elisa
Sources, notes:
1. http://www.change.org/petitions/view/pass_hr5566_animal_crush_torture_videos_incite_serial_killers_psychopaths_in_america
2. http://www.dailypaul.com/node/140718
