Cooney’s Law
Posted by Michelle Moquin on June 19th, 2011
Good morning!
Yesterday the kissing couple put a smile on my face. At first glance the image seemed contrived. But when the story was revealed, it was nothing close to that.
Today, Cooney, this sweet beagle below, also makes me smile. At first glance you might smile too. However the revealing story is nothing but bittersweet.
Cooney, the little love, is no longer with us do to the hands of her owner who brutally tortured and killed her. But fortunately she did not die in vain. As horrible as life can be, sometimes there is something good that arises from the evil that is inflicted.
Cooney’s story is not unlike the many stories of animal abuse. But this time, enough was enough. Nevada joined the majority of states where animal cruelty is classified as a felony.
Here’s the write:
Victory! Nevada Passes Felony Animal Cruelty Bill into Law
Animal advocates across Nevada could be heard cheering last Friday night. They were celebrating the signing of Senate Bill 223 (pdf), also known as Cooney’s Law, by Governor Sandoval.
Since its introduction in March, SB 223 has been backed by organizations including Nevada Voters for Animals, SPCA of Northern Nevada and Shade Tree. The new law will make certain acts of animal cruelty a felony, an upgrade from a misdemeanor offense.
Cooney was a beagle mix who was brutally tortured and killed by her owner, Raymond Rios. He brought her body to the SPCA of Northern Nevada, the shelter he adopted her from, and told shelter manager Holly Natwora what he had done. Holly immediately called animal control to report the crime. When police found Rios, once again, he confessed his crime and showed the officers Cooney’s body.
But since the act was a misdemeanor offense and the police did not witness the crime, they let Rios drive away.
That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. SB 223 was introduced to bring Nevada into the majority of states where animal cruelty is classified as a felony. Under the new law, Cooney’s death would be a felony crime for the unjustifiable death of a dog.
Having Cooney’s face and story prominent in support of SB 223 helped legislators realize that animal cruelty is something to pay attention to. “We cannot put our heads in the sand or pretend that people don’t do horrific things, sometimes to the people they love,” Holly told me. “By putting a face on this violence, we can begin to have empathy which leads to compassion and then to love.”
Many of the staff at SCPA of Northern Nevada remember Cooney from her time at the shelter and were devastated by the news of her death. The healing process is still evident, even as the shelter begins a new chapter with the grand opening of their new and expanded building this past weekend.
“At the time I couldn’t understand why such a horrible thing had to happen to such a sweet and loving dog, but now I know that Cooney had a bigger purpose to serve and I believe her life was not lost in vain but for the betterment of all animals in Nevada,” Holly said.
The law may not be enough in and of itself to prevent animal cruelty. Cases like this one are excellent examples of the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. No one knew Rios’ violent past toward both humans and animals. To protect both animals and people, animal cruelty needs to be taken seriously, not only with strong laws but with strong sentencing for animal abusers.
Photo of Cooney provided by SPCA of Northern Nevada
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Readers: If the world gave one tenth of the love that Beloved Lucy gives me every morning, oh how changed the world would be.
Inas: When I read a comments such as the one you posted, I am reminded how screwed up our country really is. And how stupid the ones in power think we and others are. I am not surprised by your post, and yet why should I be? This type of behavior is “normal”*. And yes, the arab men are no doubt correct.
Najat: I was relieved to hear that you were safe and enjoyed yourself, and yet I was not surprised by the comments from Inas that the Saudi went behind closed doors and made threats, not to mention America’s involvement.
I think about arab women quite a lot especially when I am walking Lucy and I run across a muslim woman wearing a hijab, and the weather is particularly hot. And I realize that if she is uncomfortable here just in a hijab I can only imagine how you girls must feel in your own country, forced to dress head to toe in black in blistering heat. It is abusive.
The picture you posted I saw that other day when I was perusing the net preparing for my write. I remember the first time I saw a woman dressed like that. Twenty years ago, I was leaving India headed to Nepal when we missed our plane and got laid over in Oman. I was fascinated by a woman that I saw, all in black, with only her mysterious, dramatic eyes peaking from beneath.
I knew nothing of the culture…the oppression and abuse of their women. I smiled when she caught a glimpse of me looking. My ignorance and love for the unique left me glamorizing her as this mysterious exotic beauty. Oh what little did I truly know of her and other arab women. As Ahd, said “Life is hell. If it were not for technology, this wonderful venue to gain knowledge, I, as well as many others might still be ignorant of the plight of arab women.
Yes, it is shameful that men from other countries look the other way. I know if they did pay attention…if they truly cared about women…if they took a stance and refused to do business with arab countries unless they treated their women better, arab men would change. I believe, in an instant.
If we can’t inspire arab men to care more for women than they care for money, we have to force them. And if forcing them means to take away the money to get them to change, then that’s what we need to do.
It seems so simple. We women have more voting power in America, but we don’t use that voting power and support women in becoming leaders, becoming the power of our country. We need to, not only to support women in America, but so that we can be the ones to demand that arab men treat their women better or we will refuse to do business with them. Because as it now stands, the men in power are obviously not going to.
Ahd, Areebah, Alhena: Your stories are so hard to read, one can only imagine the lives you lead, and the fear you must feel daily. I don’t know what to say. HOPEing for a solution to arise is not enough. We must be the solution. And I don’t mean you specifically. I mean women in general. Especially American women.
Girls: The stories posted by Ahd, Areebah and Alhena are more common than we know. When are all women going to learn that we can’t count on the men in this country to care more about us than they do each other and money? It is up to us.
*This world is run by male arrogance and selfishness. I am used to it, but I am not numbed by it, where it becomes “normal” even though it is “normal” behavior by men…it is not acceptable and never will be. To get used to it means, we “normalize” it and that is never going to happen with me – that means we as women are giving up and giving in to it. That will never be. I am just sick of it. It is so prevalent in so many ways from obvious abuse to little hits of dialogue…the nuance that can slip by in a sentence or two if one is not conscious of it being there. We need to be and stay conscious of it and not be numbed by this “normal” behavior.
Like I said, it is up to us women to ban together and make the changes for each other, because it is highly doubtful that men ever will for us.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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June 19th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Michelle, your stance is one that many women need to emulate. We as women will never be a force in this world if we continue to rely on men.
Candy
June 20th, 2011 at 12:59 am
As families around the country get together to celebrate fathers today, I’m thinking about dads like Alex.
Alex is the father of two boys and two girls, ages six to 13. During the week, he works the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift as a front-desk supervisor at a Seattle hotel. After work and on the weekends, he devotes his time to a summer organizing program that’s giving more than 1,500 first-time organizers the training they need to help build this movement in their communities.
He says he hopes this organizing work will help teach his kids the power one person can have — that if “they see something that needs to be changed, they know they can make a difference.”
I wanted to share a video of Alex explaining what prompted him to join this program and devote his summer to this work.
I was really moved by what he had to say. Take a look, and share it with a dad you’re thinking about today:
June 20th, 2011 at 1:00 am
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
June 20th, 2011 at 1:07 am
Hafa adai, White America is sticking it to us again. Guam can serve as a base for its troops but it isn’t white enough to be worthy of a spot in their book on national parks. Neither is Samoa, Puerta Rico, couldn’t be because we are not a white majority?
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Guam residents have daily access to U.S. National Parks boasting history and scenery — World War II landings on expansive beaches, Japanese guns embedded in overgrown jungle, mountain perches and cave hideouts set amid lush vegetation. But that doesn’t give Guamanians the credentials to photograph them for a national contest.
Guam residents, and those of all other U.S. territories and commonwealths, are barred from participation in a nationwide photography competition of the best shots of national parks.
Sponsored by the National Park Foundation — a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service — the “Share the Experience 2011″ competition offers photographers as young as 13 an opportunity to compete for prizes for the best photo taken on Federal Recreation Agency lands.
The agency area encompasses lands maintained by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation or U.S. Forest Service.
Participants can submit a maximum of three photos taken between June 1 and December 31 — and must be amateur photographers, those who don’t make more than 5 percent of their income through photography, or those who have not purchased equipment for the contest.
But the contest, which allows online voters to choose their favorite photos from the top 100, is limited only to U.S. residents.
The National Park Service on Guam contacted the National Parks Foundation and confirmed that the rule makes Guam residents ineligible for the contest, said Park Ranger Ben Hayes.
Hayes said the Park Service requested that the foundation consider Guam for future contests. The foundation agreed to reevaluate the rules, and apologized for leaving out Guam, said Hayes.
Attempts to reach the National Park Foundation in the mainland United States over the weekend were unsuccessful.
Winners of the contest will receive prizes that include GPS navigation systems, passes to Federal Recreation Lands and a grand prize trip for four to a Federal Recreation Land of the winner’s choice — excluding American Samoa and Guam.
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This bigot shit has got to stop, or Guam needs to be free and independent of those bastards. Then we can do what the Philippines did to the bigots, kick them the fuck off our island.
And FUCK their apologies!
Peter
June 20th, 2011 at 1:14 am
Your Dreams Can Come True… No Matter What Your Income
Roy T. Diliberto, CFP
Many financial planners focus primarily on money management, trying to help their clients beat the returns of a benchmark, often the Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index.
But that is not the most important consideration in the actual lives of most clients seeking investment help, according to certified financial planner Roy T. Diliberto.
Diliberto says his primary aim is to help people set priorities — and then achieve their goals, whether that involves spending more time with family, taking expensive vacations or retiring early.
How his method can help you realize your dreams…
SETTING PRIORITIES
Often, when the financial-planning process begins, clients feel that they don’t have enough money to do what they would like to do.
But after setting priorities, many people discover that they can afford more than they thought. Some financial advisers refer to the process of setting goals as life planning, but I prefer to think of it simply as financial planning done well.
The first step in setting goals is to recognize that money is an emotionally charged subject. Some people hoard their savings, fearing that they will become impoverished.
Others spend too freely, trying to prove that they are successful. My mission is to help clients look at money objectively. It is nothing more than a tool for accomplishing goals. The goals are what’s important.
When I start working with a client, I begin by asking a series of questions…
If you had all the money that you needed to achieve your dreams, how would you lead your life?
People often have what they think are unachievable goals, such as owning a second home or taking a long trip to Europe.
They imagine — often erroneously — that there are insurmountable obstacles preventing them from achieving their dreams. By answering this question, they begin thinking about how to overcome the obstacles.
When I posed this question to one client, he got very emotional and said that he would like to provide college scholarships for needy students — if only he could spare the necessary amount of money.
We examined his assets and discovered that he could afford the expense without taking money away from various other financial needs and desires.
He gave $100,000 as an endowment to his alma mater. If I had not asked the question, he would never have considered the possibility of the scholarship fund.
Often I see retirees who are so concerned about losing a big chunk of their money that they don’t take the necessary steps to increase their assets so that they can afford a richer lifestyle.
I ask clients to discuss their feelings of anxiety about money. One client in his mid-60s kept all his money in bonds, fearing stocks and other investments that might produce higher returns but also might lose more value, at least in the short term.
It was clear that the bond portfolio would not provide enough income to support his retirement. He was on the road to exhausting his assets.
After talking a while, he explained the source of his fear. When he was nine years old, his mother gave him $1 and said that he could spend 20 cents at a carnival.
The youngster spent 40 cents. As a punishment, he was grounded for a week. Whatever his mother intended, she taught him to always be very cautious with money — or face punishment.
After we discussed this childhood experience, he was open to taking an objective look at his investment portfolio. Now 50% of his money is invested in stocks, and he has enough to cover retirement costs.
If you learned that you had only five years to live, how would you spend the time?
This question encourages people to think about what is truly important to them. After struggling with the question, many people resolve to spend more time with their families. Others slow their pursuit of money because they decide that they already have enough.
Suppose a doctor says that you have only 24 hours to live. Look back on your life. What are your biggest regrets?
This question encourages people to reach for goals that they had long ignored. When faced with the question, an architect realized that he regretted never having designed a home for his own family — so he designed and built that house.
In another situation, a couple had a disabled child who was in his mid-30s. They had been meticulous about setting up a will and providing trusts that could support the child, but after thinking about the “24 hours to live” question, they decided to actually implement the provisions of the will while they were alive. They bought an appropriate condominium for the child and arranged for caretakers to pay the bills.
WHAT IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE GOALS AND DREAMS
Of course, to achieve goals and dreams, clients must have sound investment portfolios.
To reduce the anxiety clients feel when the stock market drops sharply, I help them to diversify their portfolios, making sure that they hold a broad range of stocks and bonds.
For example, because I did not place big stakes in technology stocks, my portfolios trailed the market in the 1990s, when tech stocks boomed.
But when stocks — especially tech stocks — began falling in 2000, my portfolios proved resilient, losing less than the overall market. These stable results enable clients to feel more comfortable and worry less about their money.
IDEAL PORTFOLIO FOR A MODERATE INVESTOR
For an investor with a moderate tolerance for risk, I suggest putting 60% in stock funds and 40% in bonds and/or bond funds. Best ways to divide those investments…
STOCK FUNDS
15% S&P 500 index fund
15% Large-cap value fund
15% Large-cap growth fund
10% Real estate investment trust (REIT) fund
9% Foreign large-cap value fund
9% Foreign large-cap growth fund
7% Russell 2000 small-cap index fund
6.5% Small-cap value fund
6.5% Small-cap growth fund
3.5% Foreign small-cap value fund
3.5% Foreign small-cap growth fund
BONDS/BOND FUNDS
50% Treasury bonds and high-quality corporate securities (intermediate maturities)
20% High-yield (junk) bond fund
15% Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)
15% Foreign bond fund
Personal interviewed Roy T. Diliberto, CFP, chairman and CEO of RTD Financial Advisors, Inc., a financial-planning firm in Philadelphia. He was named by Barron’s as one of the top 100 independent financial planners in the US and is a former national chairman of the Financial Planning Association. He is author of Financial Planning: The Next Step (FPA). http://www.rtdfinancial.com.
June 20th, 2011 at 1:17 am
I had a great father’s day. Thank’s sweetness.