Dog Fighting Trial

Yesterday, I went to a courthouse in the Bronx to protest against dog fighting. There was a group of men on trial there and we wanted our voices heard--to tell the judge how despicable we thought they were. I went with my friend Belisa. It was really early and we'd barely had any coffee. We met a handful of other concerned citizens organized by a dog rescue group. Some of them had signs that had sayings like "Real Men Protect God's Creatures" and "Only Cowards Fight Dogs". One sign outed the ring leader by displaying his name. There was a girl too embarrassed to hold up her sign so Belisa and I did it for her.

When the ring leader passed we stared him down. He wouldn't look at us.The cops told us that however much they appreciated what we were doing--they had dogs too, you know--we couldn't do it on the steps of the courthouse. So, we went inside and sat in the audience watching as person after person (come to think of it there were NO women) appear in front of the judge awaiting whatever came next in the process of their arraignment. Some were fined, some were told to do community service, some were told to come back in a month. It was a poorly choreographed circus of criminals and harried lawyers in suits.

In the end, Belisa and I had to leave before any of the seven men we were there for appeared. We got word later on that the ring leader and another defendant were using the same attorney, which caused a conflict and therefore a delay. Out of the other 7 defendants, one was a no show...no excuse...warrant out for his arrest. Anther could not make it due "to car problems," two are now not going to be prosecuted due to "not enough evidence," although one of them is currently in a New Jersey jail on unrelated charges. Another plead not guilty.

I appreciate what the rescue group is doing, but I just can't help but believe it is an ineffective use of their time, especially since the courtroom is so frazzled and since signs aren't allowed, we look no different from those there to support their family members and friends. We could even be the ones awaiting an appearance.

I left the courthouse determined to come up with a plan on how I can work toward making a practical difference in my own community. Making my neighbors aware that dog fighting does happen in Chelsea, a more affluent part of the city than the Bronx, is the first step.