The Puppy-Killing Moulder Brothers
I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Jason (17) and Joshua (19) Moulder,
both of whom have histories of violence and one of whom (the younger)
also has psychiatric problems (I’d say the other one does, too, based
on the details of story) duct taped a 3-month old puppy’s snout and
paws, doused her with paint, and then put her in an oven and baked her. (For the whole gruesome story, click here.)
The brothers were sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison and 10
years of probation because they also were convicted of burglary,
criminal damage to property and child cruelty (they trolled
the neighborhood to collect younger kids to show them what they’d done,
then threatened them with their lives if they told anyone).
What do I think of the sentence? I’m not sure. What I do know is that
both brothers have been in and out of foster care–and trouble–for
years. And one thing I can say for sure, is that foster youth often
don’t get the consistency of care, support, and education that kids who
grow up in homes with their parents get. As we say at Turtle Nest Village, which provides housing and support for youth who have turned 18 and "aged out" of the foster care system:
Foster kids are abandoned twice: First by their parents, and then by the system designed to raise them.
We’ll never know what would have become of the Moulder brothers had
they grown up in a loving home with their parents. But we do know that
they were created–they were made (just like you and I)–partly by the
circumstances they grew up in.
If indeed the younger brother, Joshua, has mental health issues,
putting him in jail is cruel and unnecessary, and it certainly won’t
help him return to society as a productive, non-violent person. He’s my Gray Matter and I think the prison sentence isn’t appropriate for him. He needs far different care if he is to be rehabilitated. Ten years in prison, for him, is probably tantamount to throwing him away forever. And taxpayers will be paying, in some way, for his care for the rest of his life.
His older brother, however, who was charged with aggravated sexual battery of a 3-year old boy (among other things) while in foster care, is a different story. Though I’m sure he had a very difficult childhood, and perhaps he didn’t get the parenting every child deserves, he did make very bad choices that culminated in this most recent one and he needs to be punished.
There’s an entire blog dedicated to this case (georgiapuppytorture.blogspot.com) and its history. I know that many people get very emotional about this case because it involves a cute puppy. Just remember that we torture and slaughter 10 BILLION animals a year for food, and the far majority of the population in this country doesn’t have a problem with that. And we have institutionalized torture we have labelled "sport" and "entertainment."
What are you having for lunch? When was the last time you went to the circus? What are your shoes made of?
I'm sure you feel as if you need to defend these men because they were in foster care and did not have the proper childhood upbringing as most of us are lucky enough to have. I was one of the unlucky ones, and was sent to foster care at 11 yrs old. I moved around from 5 different homes and not all my experiences were good. I did not have the guidance I needed. However, I feel like that is NOT an excuse for torture and a heinous murder. Just because it was an animal, you argue that it wasn't that bad? Is violence afflicted on humans the only one that matters? The boys' actions were reflective of what they are capable of in the future, and THAT is the scariest thought. You, among others that defend that behavior (or try to excuse it), are just as immorally unsound. The morality of a society can be based on the treatment of their animals. America is messed up, so are we just supposed to accept it…or try to do something about it?
At no point did I minimize the behavior of the men because an animal was involved. At no point did I excuse their behavior.
A brief glance through Animal Person will demonstrate that I am an abolitionist. Using animals in any way is anathema to me, as is breeding them.
I am a founding board member of Turtle Nest Village and as such I simply know more than the average person about how being brought up in foster care can make it virtually impossible to reach 17 with a decent set of values, self-esteem, a moral compass, and the capacity to have healthy relationships.
I said I wasn't sure about the sentence, as I think 17-year olds can be rehabilitated rather than thrown away. I am showing compassion for an individual who has had a painful life.
I don't understand why you are angry with my post. If the men hurt and killed a person, I would have the same reaction.
Sorry I came off angry at your post. I should not have directed it towards you, I was emotionally riled up by the case. I do understand where you are coming from, and being a former ward of the court, I recognize their upbringing as the source of their problems. Though we feel indifferent about this case, I apologize for the comment about you being immoral, becuase it is obviously not true. I appreciate all that you do in helping and understanding foster children because we certainly need more people like that.
That's very sweet. I'm so sorry that you had such terrible experiences in foster care. It breaks my heart that our children and our animals are so easily discarded and abused.
Warmly,
Mary