How can people be so cruel?

[Bowyn Aerrow]

I agree Bowyn, every single one of us has their monstrous side.

It may seem like a naive or rhetorical observation though....I just thought we were better than what we are. In all manners of life. Yeah, I'm not wearing rose-tinted glasses or anything like that (though I may come off that way at times)

I've been reading about the mathematician George Price lately and his theories on human altruism. I don't want to believe that it all boils down to genetic code, that there truly is no such thing as pure empathy or altruism....my mind won't let me accept that as fact. Its too damn depressing. I would just like to believe there is some good in people and that there are those who truly care for their fellow creatures.

But once more, I seem to be blathering without any real rhyme or reason to my logic. Thank you all for your thoughts and comments thus far on a subject that truly disturbs and sickens me to my very core.

Unfortunately I walked on/in the dark side of humanity. I got a real early peek into what humans are capable of (through my parents) then I spent time working with people in 'disadvantaged' situations. A few other experiences and I have had that wonderful bliss of ignorance ripped away.

People are capable of good. Humans are also capable of reason, however humans are not reasoning animals - meaning they do not apply reason in all things.

Overcoming the basic programing (instinct) is not easy, and few actually try because our society is so strongly geared at feeding the animal.

[Rainbowmum]

I am in tears , very upsetting.

[Pix]

A lot of religious people kill cats as warning. (And I knew a guy who killed his girlfriend's cat to both hurt AND threaten her, and he would stab her to death not long after.)

What's really strange is that I know someone who was identified as a witch (adding to the irony is she WAS, but they didn't know that it was based on something really stupid and they thought she was the Satan worshiping kind, you know the ones who sacrifice cats) and the fundies really hated her...and someone started poisoning her cats with antifreeze. A devout Catholic vet (that she took one of her poisoned cats to in the vain hope of saving him) also did something nasty, too, though unlike me she doesn't think he did it for religious reasons.

Oh yes, when the Catholic Church I used to live by held a massive prayer rally in support of Prop 8 a cat lady neighbor lost 2 cats (as traffic was fierce because so many Christians showed up to stand with God in hating the gay), and she said she knew at least one had been ran over on purpose (tires squealed, etc), just out of sheer cruelty (but no doubt the cat killer felt moral for being against gay marriage).

[Lilitu]

Eugh that's disgusting. It reminds me of one episode of ER I saw once where a boy got stuck in concrete. He was so frightened and you could see the claustrophobia rushing in. He was buried the same way the cat was, head sticking out.