Dog burners should be punished wisely
A very similar story to the recent burning of a pit bull happened Aug. 19, 1957 in Prince George's County. Three boys painted shellac on the back of a boxer dog and then set him on fire. Four boys, ages 14 to 16, were charged. My father, Emmett Nanna Jr., was the presiding judge in the case, and his sentence won him awards nationally.
He made the boys pay for the $95 to treat Duke (who survived) and then sentenced them to 24 Saturdays at an animal shelter. My father stated, "You can clean out the cages of the lost and strayed dogs being held there until their owners claim them. I think in six months you will learn a little humility. It was just a poor dumb beast who only wanted to play."
The sentence was not only appropriately related to the offense, it also proved to be educational, and thus served the highest purpose of justice, which is to correct wrongful thinking or absence of thinking.
I hope the individuals who are responsible for this inhumane act will be caught and the punishment will not be vindictive (as so many of the comments you have received seem to be) but educational, hopefully instilling in the individuals the compassion for living beings that they currently seem to lack. Lauren Connor, Woodbine
Eye for an eye
I've never thought much about the Biblical injunction of "an eye for an eye," but after hearing about this poor dog, I think it would be more than just.
Emily Johnston
Human suffering worse than animal suffering
Officer Syreeta Teel said it is hard to see people and children shot "but to see a dog on fire is worse" ("Pit bull's death stirs deep feelings," June 3).
I don't see people come that unloose for human suffering, but it just tears their little heart in two to see a dog hurt.
Robert Lee, Baltimore
Sun misses point on Millennials
In its attempt to discourage "generational warfare," your editorial "Busting the Boom" (May 23) unfortunately missed several key points.
First, while no one believes that the job market is a zero-sum game, the fact is that young people today face more daunting challenges than ever, including sky-high unemployment, rising tuition rates, increased credit card and student loan debt and a market in which we have to compete with candidates who oftentimes have much more experience and skills than ever before.
However, the often-neglected good news is that Millennials are not sitting idly by and blaming others. Not only did Mobilize.org, SAVE and the Roosevelt Institution recently organize a national, grass-roots coalition entitled "80 Million Strong" to find solutions to the most pressing issues facing our generation, but all across the country, we have stories of young people who are working to improve their communities and find ways to increase opportunities for our generation.
Our organization's purpose is not to "come after" individuals' jobs in the midst of their careers. We are simply pointing out the challenges faced by young people in the current economic crisis so that we can collectively work to find solutions to these issues.
Maya Enista, WashingtonThe writer is CEO of mobilize.org and co-chair of 80 Million Strong.
