Letter: Just a bullfrog by Kirstin Morken
Editor:
On June 11, my two children and I woke to a beautiful warm, sunny day and decided to go for a hike on the Buck Lake trails. As my children hiked along the lakeshore, they came upon a magnificent bullfrog lounging peacefully in the shallows. It was one of the biggest bullfrogs they had ever seen, measuring a good 6 inches in length.
They were so excited to have discovered this immense and awesome frog! They admired the glistening green frog for a few minutes. Then we left the frog in peace and moved on down the shoreline, where we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming.
Partway through the day, two young teenage boys decided to show off their prize to my kids. The boys proudly raised our bullfrog. My children were speechless, then sickened. This same magnificent bullfrog that they had just appreciated was now tortured, mangled and carelessly tossed into the woods to die.
What kind of person, they asked, would do this to such a cool and innocent creature? I did not know how to answer my sad and disappointed children. Did these two boys have nothing better to do with their day than to destroy life? Though it was “just a bullfrog,” this was just one more act of senseless violence.
I’d like to think these boys felt bad about what they did, but I don’t think that is the case. Some kids are becoming desensitized to violence. They find pleasure in causing the innocent harm.
Parents, teachers, mentors or anyone who cares: Please teach children the value of all life!
Kirstin Morken, Rhinelander
(Editor’s note: The details of what the boys did to the frog were graphic and have been omitted.)
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