BEING A VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS means learning to write and speak the way journalists and politicians do so that your communication won’t be automatically dismissed as being from some arbitrary, emotional and uneducated fanatic. Below is a sample of talking points you can adapt to use in your conversations, emails and letters to elected officials and police departments and editors of newspapers. You can be courteous while being persistent. If you aren’t ready to make phone calls, send emails and letters. Send them every month. Make a phone call every month. Your legislators and local law enforcement will begin to recognize your name. They will tell other people about your persistence. That’s a good thing because the more people who hear about you and your position, the more attention will be paid to enforcement of animal cruelty laws.
SAMPLE LETTER / TALKING POINTS
TO REQUEST ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL ABUSE LAWS
Dear :
I am contacting you to respectfully request that you support the maximum penalty allowed by law against people who are convicted of animal abuse. As the recent sad examples in (____________________) show, and recent violence across our country attest to; it is time to send a clear message to people capable of intentionally inflicting serious injury or death to helpless animals, that such brutal and senseless crimes will not be tolerated and there are guaranteed consequences for those who would show such disdain for the law. Several states prosecute animal abuse as a felony offense and impose mandatory psychiatric counseling along with jail time and fines.
I am contacting you to respectfully request that you support the maximum penalty allowed by law against people who are convicted of animal abuse. As the recent sad examples in (____________________) show, and recent violence across our country attest to; it is time to send a clear message to people capable of intentionally inflicting serious injury or death to helpless animals, that such brutal and senseless crimes will not be tolerated and there are guaranteed consequences for those who would show such disdain for the law. Several states prosecute animal abuse as a felony offense and impose mandatory psychiatric counseling along with jail time and fines.
If you don't already know, social scientists and law enforcement officials have identified animal abuse as a symptom of emotional illness and a precursor to violent crimes against human beings. As a society we must call a halt to the acceptance of animal cruelty and enforce a policy of harsh punishment for such crimes. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel and violent acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished, would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them, and others, to possibly go on to commit serious and violent crimes against innocent human beings.
Please protect the children, animals and citizens of (______________________ by writing, passing and enforcing strict laws that will give offenders serious jail time and a fine. Anyone who devalues life in this manner should not be walking the streets without immediate psychiatric treatment.
Please protect the children, animals and citizens of (______________________ by writing, passing and enforcing strict laws that will give offenders serious jail time and a fine. Anyone who devalues life in this manner should not be walking the streets without immediate psychiatric treatment.
[Your Name]
[Your address ]NOTE: The above letter was adapted from the one at the following site: http://www.tonglen.oceandrop.org/Letter_Animal_Abuse2.htm
