FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
APRIL 7, 2000
SHE IS JUST THE CHILD OF A DEATH ROW INMATE
Written by Hannah Floyd
Cruelty to
animals?
I walked by a fenced in yard yesterday and saw a beautiful
scene. A wife
was in one end of the yard holding an adorable
puppy. Her husband was at
the other end of the yard calling the puppy.
I stood there smiling because I
knew the next scene, too. The
reunion, the scratching behind the ears, the
puppies wet tongue all
over the mans face. Oh yes, I could see it all. Or
so I
thought.
The woman did turn the puppy lose, but instead of greeting the
puppy, the
man ran and placed himself behind a glass door. The puppy
got all confused
and kept walking into the glass. He could hear the voice of
his "father" but
he couldn't get to him.
After a while he started
whining. It was obvious that all he wanted was to
be picked up. It
just didn't happen and it was heartbreaking to watch. I
thought to
myself, how can anyone be so cruel? Can't they see what they're
doing to the puppy?
The saddest part about this story is that it
didn't happen to a puppy. It
will, however, happen to my six year old
daughter before long. She will
walk into the visiting area and instead
of running into the arms of her
daddy and getting her hug, she will be met
by a piece of glass.
No more hugs, no more little happy kisses on his
cheek, no more sharing a
burger together, or reading a book, or walking
around talking about the week
that passed.
How do I explain that to
her when I don't even understand myself? Can
anyone help me to find
the words to tell a 6 year old? I don't think that
it's any easier
than explaining it to a puppy.
But then she's not an adorable puppy is
she? She's just the child of a
death row inmate.