Joseph Petcka (pictured below) was on trial in Manhattan last month for two weeks. The charges? Animal-cruelty. He killed Norman (above), his girlfriend’s kitty, in a drunken rage. His story? He kicked the cat in self-defense because Norman viciously lunged at him and attacked him with his kitty fangs. Right.
I am a cat lover – an animal lover, really. While I know that some cats aren’t as sweet and loving as mine, I highly doubt that Petcka, a 205-pound former minor league baseball player, was completely over whelmed by a 7 pound cat with tiny sharp teeth and a few claws. Yes, Norman may have been a little aggressive (although, he may have sensed his owner was in danger) but I don’t think he deserved a steel-toed boot to the head. I don’t know what sentence Petcka deserves and that isn’t the point of this post. This is:
Today I read Andrea Peyser’s article in the Post. Peyser has a regular column that mostly discusses social and political issues concerning New Yorkers. Her discussions also include her sometimes-funny, yet often abrasive opinions. She recently wrote a series of columns claiming that Norman’s death hardly deserved a two-week trial in an already clogged Manhattan court system. She bitched about the fact that O.J. Simpson and Scott Peterson’s trials were over in a hot second, yet Petcka’s fate took jurors days to determine.
Peyser: face the facts. I don’t care if you are an animal-lover or hater, the fact is that there are laws to protect animals as well as humans. If a jury wants to take two weeks to decide the fate of Norman’s killer, then so be it! It’s called the judicial system. I work in a law firm and I see so much time being wasted in court on what I consider frivolous issues. But I also understand that it’s their right to have access to the Courts. And no matter how much you bitch about it, Norman is getting his day in court.
Peyser’s article today was in response to the hundreds of emails she was blasted with, along with an online petition signed by 854 people demanding she “hit the road.” Some of the emails she received were ridiculous, like, “You eat animals. I can tell because you’re fat.” I don’t think the author thought that one through.
But seriously Peyser, you’re an idiot. What did you think was going to happen after writing numerous articles about the idiocy of determining the appropriate justice for Norman the cat? Your audience consists of Manhattanites – the Mecca of animal lovers. It’s where dog owners buy carriages, dresses, and Halloween costumes for their precious pooches. It’s where cats are walked around on leashes. It’s a city that encourages pets in restaurants and creates classes called “Doggy and Me Yoga.” Peyser, you should have seen your massacre coming. Titling today’s article, “Honest, I Love Cats (well Sauteed)” is not going to help your drowning popularity. Although, I’m quickly figuring out that you don’t seem to think about your audience. And isn’t that something a good writer should consider? I think it’s time to leave Norman alone.
