Strollerderby : cruelty

Child Bullfighter Drawing Controversy

Cole Gamble — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Who doesn’t think it’s cute when a child plays dress-up to appear adult. Imagine a toddler police officer or doctor. It’s adorable, but I wouldn’t want to give the kid an actual gun or scalpel. The folks in Mexico feel differently, and so they have introduced to the world the first mini matador. Michelito Lagravere is just 10 years old, and has already chalked up 60 kills in the ring.

But some people don’t think this is so cute.

In France, where Michelito has been performing, the French have been in uproar over this adolescent cow slayer. Although bull fighting does enjoy relative popularity in southern France, French animal rights groups have managed to cancel two of Michelito’s performances so far. Although the idea of a mini meat murderer is disturbing enough, not to mention the potential for danger to the lil’ shaver, it’s likely the French group is using less concerned about Michelito’s well being and rather using him as a pawn toward their larger concern of ending the cruel practice of bull fighting in general. If raising concerns over his welfare gets a few cows a stay of execution, so be it.

We don’t have anything like bull fighting in the US, but kids here get regularly sent out into the woods with a firearm to hunt some animal or another. Sure, a ten-year-old bullfighting is shocking. Howvere, no one blinks an eye when a seven year old wanders into the thicket with a shotgun. Or how about an eight-year old flying over a mountain side on a speeding ATV. What do you think; do we in America casually place our children in deadly situations in the name of sport?

Below: Video of Michelito in bull killing action.

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Teen Kills Herself Over Fake MySpace Boyfriend Created By Adults

Kelly Mills — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:02:00 GMT

If you've been following this story, you know it is devastatingly twisted. Megan Meier, a thirteen-year-old girl, met a sixteen-year-old boy named Josh on MySpace. He told her she was pretty and they had an online relationship. Then Josh abruptly told her he didn't want to be her friend anymore because he heard she was mean. He began posting bulletins: Megan is a slut. Megan is fat. Megan, who took medication for depression and ADHD, went upstairs to her room and hung herself. She died the next day.

Six weeks after Megan died, her parents learned that Josh was not a real person--he was created by the parents of a girl who lived down the street, a girl who had once been Megan's friend. The messages had been sent by the parents and their daughter, and they had invited another girl to join in the fun. Before the ambulance left Megan's house they called this girl and told her not to tell anyone about the MySpace profile. These neighbors were friends with Megan's family. They attended Megan's funeral.

The paper that broke the story did not print the names of these parents, and bloggers howled in protest. Some, most notably Jezebel, went on to print their names. There's some journalistic questions in there, about what information is necessary and important to report and what does more harm than good. All really good issues to consider, but mostly I could give a rat's ass about that because I read this as a parent, thinking of Megan's parents' pain.

I highly recommend reading the St. Charles Journal report on Megan's death, but be prepared for heartbreak. Megan's mother blames herself. She was angry at her daughter for not logging off when asked. She was home when Megan killed herself. She and Megan's father have basically no recourse against the family that did this. And I cannot find strong enough words for the disgust I feel towards adults--parents themselves--who tormented a teenage girl. On some level I understand all kinds of cruelty, but this one is almost beyond me. It's despicable and insanely sick and just gross. I fervently hope the rest of their lives are a daily hell.

Mom Goes Dirty Harry On Bullies

Kelly Mills — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:23:00 GMT

A mom in Jacksonville says her son was being bullied on the school bus and she wanted to put an end to it. So she allegedly showed up at the bus stop, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at students, saying, "Does anyone have something to say?" Somehow I have a feeling the kids didn't have much to say at that point. She's being charged with improper exhibition of a firearm. I can see how it might be improper for a forty-year-old woman to exhibit her firearm at kids at a school bus stop.

But I will tell you that while I certainly don't condone threatening children with guns or knives or missiles or anything, I totally get the sentiment. Having a kid has given me new insight to the almost feral protectiveness I feel towards her. And school buses are quite possibly the saddest places on earth, a yellow fleet of of cruelty and despair headed straight for hell. That might be a little dramatic, but at least in my day, the bus code was: anything goes on the school bus, as long as you mostly stay in your seat. If someone was torturing my kid on the bus, would I draw a weapon? Nope. Would I want to? Most likely.