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Newspaper photo of cop shooting cow brings in complaints
The Sunbury, Penn. newspaper got nearly three-dozen complaints about this photo. The editor says: "Someone said 'look at it from a Third Grader's perspective' and 'how would it look to a five-year-old to look at it? What do you tell them?'" (Editor & Publisher | "Police shoot escaped cows")
December 5, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
How come they killed the cow? LOL. What was she? Armed and dangerous? A member of Al Qaeda?
Great timing on the photographer's part, that's for sure.
Posted by: | Dec 5, 2007 2:47:00 PM
Was it really necessary to kill them?
Posted by: Cherie | Dec 5, 2007 2:51:36 PM
I don't think they were listening when it was suggested they walk over and get in the other truck.
On the other hand, I like steak.
Posted by: stopeatingmysesamecake | Dec 5, 2007 2:52:21 PM
The complainers are the reason I hate most American parents these days. Yes, let us dumb down NEWSPAPERs so the content won't scare five-year-olds. I sense a fat, self-entitled parent who bit off more than they could chew here. Why do these parents want to make the entire world child-safe? Are they too lazy or incompetent to raise they child that they had without consulting the rest of us? Keep pulling this shit, I'll keep voting 'NO' on the school budgets and park-and-rec budgets. Jerks.
Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | Dec 5, 2007 2:55:48 PM
And of course, if the cows had trampled their kid, they'd be asking why the cops didn't simply shoot the cows when they had the chance.
Hey, do you think that officer's pals are ribbing him something fierce for having killed a cow? I'll bet they're hanging steaks in his locker and stuff. LOL
Posted by: | Dec 5, 2007 2:58:31 PM
What do you tell them? You tell kids the truth. The police officers and the cows' owner tried to corral the cows so they could be placed safely back on the truck. But one of the cows rammed a gate and everyone decided that it was safer to shoot the cows than risk someone getting hurt (or maybe property being damaged?).
If these were meat cows, then you add that the cows were going to be killed one day anyway to make hamburgers. My 3-year-old knows where meat comes from. I worry about a third grader who doesn't (and by the way, 5-year-olds are in kindergarten, not third grade).
I'm curious why the animals were not tranquilized and saved instead of shot with a shotgun. At such a distance, a shotgun doesn't seem very humane.
Posted by: AJ | Dec 5, 2007 2:59:22 PM
I bet they killed it because that cow is more black than white. If it had been more white than black, they probably would have let it off with a warning.
Welcome to Bush's AmeriKKKa.
Posted by: | Dec 5, 2007 3:07:19 PM
Oh for crying out loud-I was expecting blood and gore, not a somewhat well-taken photograph of a cop shooting a gun at a cow.
I agree with Sean on this one-keep your spawn away from the paper if you think a picture of a cop with a gun pointed in the general direction of a bloody cow is going to upset them.
Posted by: pnwgal | Dec 5, 2007 3:14:25 PM
the newspaper received "nearly three-dozen complaints" from "the 25,000-circulation daily". so nearly .144% of the paper's readership found the image offensive. so what do you say?
get the hell over it!
want to cancel your subscription? do it, you won't be missed! you account for only $18/day (at $0.50/weekday issue). freaks!
Posted by: jason | Dec 5, 2007 3:19:57 PM
The owner gave permission to kill the cows cause the cops could not catch them and they were on their way to be auctioned for slaughter anyway, it said...
Posted by: b | Dec 5, 2007 3:25:09 PM
Don't the idiots own a rope? Why some idiot would shoot the cows with a damn shotgun is beyond me. City folks....nuf said!
Posted by: Yall | Dec 5, 2007 3:29:29 PM
I thought pigs & cows got along?
Posted by: A.V. | Dec 5, 2007 3:32:39 PM
The cow of horror came closer and closer to the school, her eyes glittering with malice. Just when all seemed lost, the fearless policeman leapt out of hiding, and sent bullet after bullet into the cow's evil rotten brain! Boom boom boom boom boom! Round after steel-jacketed round exploded through the malicious bovine skull! Hamburgers for everyone!!!
Posted by: Mook | Dec 5, 2007 3:33:47 PM
I bet tasering the cow would have helped.
Posted by: yucca | Dec 5, 2007 3:41:51 PM
"Was it really necessary to kill them?"
do you mean right there, or when they got to the place where they would have been killed anyways.
On another note. Me and some friends play this awesome game called 'Steak'
how it works is we go to the supermarket and buy some steaks, take them back to someones place, grill them, eat them, and we all win.
Posted by: boynamedsue | Dec 5, 2007 3:51:47 PM
Like one of our local Barney Fife's. He shot a pet pig from the hood of his patrol car. The idjut had the dumbass audacity to tell the local paper "I shouted halt to the beast and he did not stop." "I was forced to leap to the hood of my squad car and shoot the wild beast before he could wreck more havic". (A kid left the gate open next door and the pet pig wondered over because it was lonesome for someone to play with) Think Arnold here.
It all started when a city woman had moved out to the country and called the police when a neighbor's pet hog got out of the pasture and wondered to her yard. She knew it was a pet. She was friends with the neighbor. She said she didn't know what else to do but call the police. (This is where she should have cut off Oprah, put her Bon-Bons down and went and walked the pet pig back to his pen!) The policeman (?) was laughed out of the county!
Posted by: Yall | Dec 5, 2007 3:56:27 PM
The cow was a challenge to the cop's ego, and therefore had to be executed.
Posted by: Get Real | Dec 5, 2007 4:02:06 PM
You want blood and gore....take your kid to the slaughter house so they can see how the hamburgers they eat are made. I can't believe people complained...but they run pictures of the biggest deer shot in the area during hunting season and thats ok, or they allow their kids to sit there while they watch the evening news that shows dead soldiers etc etc etc. Bassackwards.
Its disappointing they had no option but to shoot the cows but I'm guessing they were on their way to a slaughter house anyway and getting shot in the head is a much easier way to die. At least they had a moment of freedom first.
Posted by: Cherie | Dec 5, 2007 4:05:07 PM
Most police don't have slugs in their shotguns. At that distance with buckshot I'd presume the cows died a horrible death taking many shots, much worse than the electrocution at the slaughter house.
Posted by: Yall | Dec 5, 2007 4:10:01 PM
I'd rather see a picture of them getting it out of there and taking it to the slaughter house with a tow truck!
Posted by: Travman | Dec 5, 2007 4:11:07 PM
Another thing, I don't know of any slaughter houses that accept dead animals. Maybe a rendering plant.
Posted by: Yall | Dec 5, 2007 4:26:01 PM
Yall, would'nt a butcher take it?
Posted by: Cherie | Dec 5, 2007 4:33:29 PM
That is a kick ass picture.
That is all.
Posted by: The Asshole Guy | Dec 5, 2007 5:00:20 PM
was it THAT slow of a news day that THIS is the big story???
Posted by: Laurie | Dec 5, 2007 5:08:02 PM
You wouldn't want the meat after the animal has been excited and run hard. It would be nasty. If a little car hit the animal there could be adults/children hurt. Not a pretty sight but the safest one for others.
Posted by: ol'dog | Dec 5, 2007 6:09:17 PM
