Hopefully, the beginning of the end

[China_cat]

of dog fighting in this state. From the Post and Courier 11/24/2004

Body blow to a blood sport

The conviction of David Tant on a variety of charges related to his involvement in dogfighting sends a stern -- indeed, chilling -- message to those who would engage in this brutal blood sport. Simply put, South Carolina will no longer tolerate its existence.

Mr. Tant, considered one of the most successful breeders of fighting pit bulls in the world, was given 40 years in prison, and has to pay $150,000-plus to Charleston County as reimbursement for keeping his dogs in an animal shelter, following his arrest.

In addition, he will be required to pay the medical expenses of a surveyor, who was badly injured by a booby trap when he ventured on property where Mr. Tant's dogs were kept.

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40 years in jail for dog fighting. It isn't that long ago that he wouldn't even have been taken to court. He might not have even lost his dogs.

[sportndandy]

1. The measure of a society

is how it cares for and protects it weakest members. Sometimes I think there might be hope for us yet. Thanks for the post.

[pretzel4gore]

2. Is south carolina becoming blue?

they punish the heartlessly cruel when mara juwanna users (maybe)getting away! hmmmm

[forgethell]

3. No if only people actually got that

for murder or rape!!!

[China_cat]

4. well, its a start

[forgethell]

5. Indeed it is.

I approve of the sentence. it's just that it's from the wrooong end of the spectrum. Justice for people should come before justice ffor animals.

Merry Christmas:)

[China_cat]

6. The way I see it

is that there just might be a kid or 2 who will look at that sentence and shudder and think "if that guy got that kind of sentence for fighting dogs, what'll they do to me?"

And you have to remember that it isn't that long that we've been getting any kind of sentencing...hell, any kind of convictions...at all for rape (except when the perp was black and the victim white).

[forgethell]

7. I'm not sure

why race has to be dragged into this. Murder is murder; rape is rape. If a black guy rapes a white woman or murders a white man, it's the same as if a white man raped a black woman,etc. Both should receive very severe sentences.

[China_cat]

8. They should

but here in the south, though it is better now, race has always been a part of sentencing in rape cases.

Before the law change, the mandatory sentence for rape was the death penalty. A white man raping a white woman MIGHT get convicted but usually wouldn't because the juries didn't like the sentence. A white man raping a black woman wouldn't even get charged. A black man raping a black woman would not likely be charged for it. A black man raping a white woman would be convicted and die for it.

This was the racism of the law and it needs to be remembered to keep it from happening again.

When we took the death penalty away for rape, we started getting convictions and jail sentences. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go before white rapists (with white victims) get the same lengths of sentences that black on white rape will get. Race still plays a very big part of how punishment is meted out and if we don't keep that fact in front of people's faces, it's never going to go away.