To the editor:

Cruelty to animals is something I have no tolerance for. You could say that it was a harmless prank and that they were just chickens, although I find that sentiment very alarming. First it is torture of non-human animals, with no apparent thought for their well-being; then it could be something most people would not tolerate: torture of humans.

I do not want to punish these kids unduly. But I would like them to be more sensitive. It was cruel what they did. Did they not give that a single thought?

I have a hard time eating meat. It is getting harder every day, with incidents like this to remind me of how cruel and insensitive we are to nonhuman beings.

Call me a tree-hugger if you want. I don’t think that is a bad thing. Is it bad to want a world left over for your kids?

Kathy Schott Gates,

Lawrence