dog slaying. can you guess the rest?

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Old 09-27-2009, 09:32 PM
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dog slaying. can you guess the rest?

Recently there was a thread here(can't find it) about someones alcoholic husband/bf hurting a dog.




A Milpitas man with a long history of violence was sentenced Friday to more than 25 years in prison for beating his former girlfriend's cocker spaniel to death with a hammer, a third strike for Alex Castro.

Castro had 20 misdemeanor convictions, including driving under the influence.


Milpitas man gets 25 years to life for dog slaying — his third strike - San Jose Mercury News
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Old 09-27-2009, 09:41 PM
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good riddance
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Old 09-27-2009, 09:42 PM
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In the F&F section someone talked about a dog being thrown at a wall, though not seriously injured, I respect this person, she was castigated by other folk for 'not protecting the dog'.

I read the link you provided, this guy is definitely a bad actor and should be put away, but dogs are not people, the idea that this guy is going to get a stiffer jail term for killing an animal than some get for killing a human being makes me a little uneasy. I love critters as much as anyone-two cats-but it still makes me uneasy.
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Old 09-27-2009, 11:37 PM
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Originally Posted by sailorjohn View Post
In the F&F section someone talked about a dog being thrown at a wall, though not seriously injured, I respect this person, she was castigated by other folk for 'not protecting the dog'.

I read the link you provided, this guy is definitely a bad actor and should be put away, but dogs are not people, the idea that this guy is going to get a stiffer jail term for killing an animal than some get for killing a human being makes me a little uneasy. I love critters as much as anyone-two cats-but it still makes me uneasy.
In theory I understand your uneasiness. The judges decision is consistent within the framework of CA law and after looking at his "track record" continued disrespect for the law if not common decency, progressive anti-societal behavior, history of alcohol and who knows whatever else......... A reasonable person would be very concerned about the next violent episode being a hammer against a persons head.
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Old 09-28-2009, 04:12 AM
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Originally Posted by sailorjohn View Post
I read the link you provided, this guy is definitely a bad actor and should be put away, but dogs are not people, the idea that this guy is going to get a stiffer jail term for killing an animal than some get for killing a human being makes me a little uneasy. I love critters as much as anyone-two cats-but it still makes me uneasy.
A heart no longer beats, lungs are empty of air, liver and kidney's no longer function. No blood will flow through veins. Eyes cannot see. Ears cannot hear. Stomach will no longer digest food. But I guess most important--the brain can't register pain with the body anymore.

You're right....no, dogs are not humans. But inside, underneath it all, there really isn't a big difference. Fact remains--he did END a LIFE. A living, breathing, emotionally capable LIFE.

If I remember right, Louisiana has the stiffest maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty at 11 years. I don't think that's long enough, considering a scene can look identical to that of a person.

But who knows. Maybe I just feel the way I do because my dogs have never got drunk and called me a bitch. Or got drunk and called me a *****. Or got drunk and called me a two timing ****. Or got drunk and slept around on me. Or got drunk and hit me. Or got drunk and threw things at me. Or got drunk and drove through town. Or got drunk and accused me of loving the other dog more than I do her. oh the list could go on.
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Old 09-28-2009, 06:54 AM
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I was the one who posted about the dog. After the incident, I kicked him out of the house. He no longer had access to the dog. I protected her. I believe this was appropriate to the situation. I was told I should have shot him. Yeah, THAT would have been appropriate.

This man was dealt with by law enforcement and the courts. They determined what was appropriate. It's not up to me to decide.

Actions have consequences. My job is to do the right thing, not play god.

L
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Old 09-28-2009, 07:13 AM
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The man's not just an alcoholic, he's a vicious human being. And personally, I don't have enough minutes in my day to worry about whether a vicious human being is being given too stiff a sentence. The suspension of reality and of normal compassion that it takes to kill something like that indicates to me that I don't want this person around my friends, family or children for a long time.
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Old 09-28-2009, 01:43 PM
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I think its well-established behavioral science that people who are capable of torturing and killing animals are equally capable of behaving that way with human beings.

I'm pretty sure the harsher sentencing was more due to the fact that he was a repeat offender than the fact that his latest victim was a dog.
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Old 09-28-2009, 01:52 PM
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What is the point of this thread?

posting that link and linking it to the behavior of someone's AH here

To show alcoholics torture and kill animals?

just curious
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Old 09-28-2009, 03:05 PM
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I wondered about that myself. Quite a stretch to link a one-time incident in which the dog was not injured to a story about someone beating a dog to death with a hammer. Trying to stir up emotions is the only reason I can think of.

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Old 09-28-2009, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by LaTeeDa View Post
I wondered about that myself. Quite a stretch to link a one-time incident in which the dog was not injured to a story about someone beating a dog to death with a hammer. Trying to stir up emotions is the only reason I can think of.

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I struggle with this quite a bit myself

What we must recognize now is that we exult in some of our defects. We really love them. Who, for example, doesn't like to feel just a little superior to the next fellow, or even quite a lot superior?

Self-righteous anger also can be very enjoyable. In a perverse way we can actually take satisfaction from the fact that many people annoy us, for it brings a comfortable feeling of superiority. Gossip barbed with our anger, a polite form of murder by character assassination, has its satisfactions for us, too. Here we are not trying to help those we criticize; we are trying to proclaim our own righteousness.
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Old 09-28-2009, 10:52 PM
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Reading stories like this can help us(codies and alcoholics) further understand the tragedy associated with alcoholism. I posted the story about the 36 year old mother that drove children while drunk and crashed, resulting in multiple deaths.

In actuality, just about any post on this forum can and does stir up emotions.
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Old 09-28-2009, 11:05 PM
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Originally Posted by steve11694 View Post
Reading stories like this can help us(codies and alcoholics) further understand the tragedy associated with alcoholism. I posted the story about the 36 year old mother that drove children while drunk and crashed, resulting in multiple deaths.

In actuality, just about any post on this forum can and does stir up emotions.


How does reading a story about a dog being beat to death with a hammer by a psycho pertain to recovery from codependency or help codies?

because he had a DUI along with his many other crimes?
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Old 09-29-2009, 06:58 AM
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I agree with Ago.

1) This story has nothing to do with anyone on this board. Trying to tie it in to my post about the dog is like saying "Someone posted once about an alcoholic who tore a door down, so here is a story about a crazy person who tore a door down and beat a child to death with it."

2) It doesn't help us "understand the tragedy of alcoholism" in our own lives. Most of us have a very good understanding of the tragedy in our own lives without the need to compare them to someone who is obviously psychotic and deranged as well as a drunk.

3) Stories like this can actually have an opposite effect in that they can be used to maintain denial. As in "well, at least my alcoholic is not THAT BAD."

4) Many posts stir up emotions on this board because of similarities in our own lives. This story stirs up emotions not because many of us can relate to it, but for the same reason tabloids sell. It's just exploitation of the "shock factor." And it's used here in the same way. It plays on our self-righteousness and superiority, which is one of the unhealthiest of codependent traits. (See previous post by Ago.)

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Old 10-01-2009, 09:22 AM
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[QUOTE=LaTeeDa;2383376]I agree with Ago.

1) This story has nothing to do with anyone on this board. Trying to tie it in to my post about the dog is like saying "Someone posted once about an alcoholic who tore a door down, so here is a story about a crazy person who tore a door down and beat a child to death with it."

2) It doesn't help us "understand the tragedy of alcoholism" in our own lives. Most of us have a very good understanding of the tragedy in our own lives without the need to compare them to someone who is obviously psychotic and deranged as well as a drunk.



This and other similar things HAS helped me better understand the tragedy of alcoholism, although everyone is different and others may not rightfully so perceive it in the same light.

Unfortunately alcoholism can and does induce psychoses/derangement. Of course not in everyone that is drunk.








3) Stories like this can actually have an opposite effect in that they can be used to maintain denial. As in "well, at least my alcoholic is not THAT BAD."


Codependents may rationalize and say "my alcoholic is not that bad" or they may gain deeper insight into some of the realities of this progressive disease.


I certainly did not intend to offend anyone with this post.
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Old 10-01-2009, 10:20 AM
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IN addition to ALANON, local rehab support groups for families, I also became a regular attendee at open AA meetings. I wanted to learn as much as I could. No degree of enlightenment was too great.

Anyway I have heard horrific heart wrenching stories at AA meetings that gave me much pause and sadness.

Of course many of the stories made my aw problems look relatively small, BUT, and this is a very big but; it opened my eyes and mind to appreciate the full spectrum and potential madness. I did not trivialize/deny my problems with aw. Rather it helped me realize that those things could very well happen to my aw/us/our family.
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Old 10-01-2009, 10:38 AM
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Originally Posted by steve11694 View Post
I wanted to learn as much as I could. No degree of enlightenment was too great.
I say whatever works, do it.

I made leaps and bounds in my recovery when I changed my focus on learning about him to learning about me..........

No degree of enlightenment was too great.

L
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Old 10-01-2009, 11:10 AM
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Originally Posted by LaTeeDa View Post
I say whatever works, do it.

I made leaps and bounds in my recovery when I changed my focus on learning about him to learning about me..........

No degree of enlightenment was too great.

L
I too did the 12 steps and learned alot but it didn't stop there. I read books about understanding alcoholism. 2 of them were

"I'll stop tomorrow" Vernon Johnson Vernon Johnson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Love First" Jay http://www.lovefirst.net/lovefirst.htm


There is a world of scientific/ medical/ psychiatric information on alcoholism out there in addition to 12 step doctrines.
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Old 10-01-2009, 11:14 AM
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Never did any 12-stepping myself. Went to a therapist weekly who specialized in addiction/codependence for about 18 months. Read many books. Started with Codependent No More. Moved on to more spiritual/self-discovery material. There is a wealth of information out there. I don't need to know more about alcoholism. I need to know more about life, and how to live mine to the fullest.

As I said, whatever works.

L
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