Common Decency

Yesterday I was watching a court show.  I admit, I am guilty, I love them!  On this particular day, there was a dispute over a dog.  One person claimed the dog was stolen by a neighbor and neutered, the neighbor said the dog was given to her as a gift by a breeder friend.  As the story unfolded the audience discovered that the dog got into possession of the current caretaker because the person literally walked up and took the dog away from a little 8 year old girl who was walking the pet at the time.  

What upset me even more was that the adult who grabbed the dog from the child and left her sobbing on the sidewalk had no remorse or sense that she had done anything wrong.  I was also upset that someone I was watching the show with agreed with the offending adult, after all, it may be their property and they were 'RIGHT' to get it back.  I am sorry, but I just can not agree.  

To me, there is a right way to do things and a wrong way to get them done.  While I understand that the person may have been 'RIGHT', I do not believe they proceeded in the correct manner at all.  The fact is that the issue of ownership of the dog remains unresolved.  However, even if the person who took the animal is the true owner, shouldn't there be room for human decency in the way she conducts herself.  Or does being right absolve you of all responsibility to be a good human being?  

This woman could have taken note of the child and which home she came from.  (They were neighbors and were familiar with each other.)  She could have spoken to the parents of the child to try to resolve the dispute.  She could have called the police or she could have started a lawsuit when the family was unwilling to give the animal up. All of which would have been much more civil than taking the dog from a small child and running off like a common criminal and all of those choices would have given the parents time to prepare the child for the possibility that the neighbor may end up getting the dog.  But instead, she chose to traumatize a small child and act like a total ass.  She then went on national television and bragged that she was right to behave as she did.   

I believe that people should pick their battles as wisely as possible.  I believe that children should be treated reasonably.  I believe that in any situation that involves and adult and a child, the adult should act like an adult.                     

There is a Bible verse that simply states that love covers a multitude of sin.  Maybe if more people acted in love with tough situations happen, less people in the world would be walking wounded carrying old traumas around.  Sometimes being 'RIGHT' should take a back seat to being a good human being!