Letters to the Editor: They killed a goat to teach a child a lesson -- that adults are heartless?

To the editor: Congratulations, Shasta County Fair officials, for standing your ground and sticking firmly to your rules that the 4-H animals entered for terminal auction will be slaughtered. No compromising. No exceptions.

You took what could have been a cute, feel-good story about a child who bonded with the goat in her care into a bloody and tragic farce.

What was the point of sending sheriff’s deputies to confiscate the goat for slaughter? To prove yourselves as heartless bureaucrats with no common sense? What a waste of time and public resources, and what an abuse of power. How much money did this all cost?

All so you could slaughter a goat! You couldn’t have given yourselves, the fair or 4-H worse publicity than if you had actually tried. Shasta County deserves better.

Barbara Richardson, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: I cried when I read about the goat who had become a domesticated pet to a 9-year-old.

When I was 7 years old, my grandma gave our family a baby chick that became my pet. It was eventually slaughtered and served for dinner. I was an emotional mess and became a vegetarian.

The Shasta Fair Assn. should be held accountable for dismissing the emotional well-being of this young girl, especially knowing she had recently lost three grandparents. She begged for the goat’s life to be spared. The mother offered to reimburse the fair and had also made contact with the winning bidder, who had agreed to being reimbursed.

But fair officials couldn’t find it in their hearts to stop the process. Shame on them.

Georgette Rieck, Santa Monica

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To the editor: My grandsons have been through this process at least a dozen times, and the first time can be painful for children since they have bonded with their animal.

But keep in mind that the girl’s family was well aware of the rules when she began her project and did not have to enter the competition. To be clear, these animals are projects, not pets.

The blame should be directed at her parents for teaching her not to keep her commitments and instead steal others’ property. As far as I am concerned, the authorities involved are treating them with kid gloves.

Paul Burns, Granada Hills

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To the editor: I grew up on a farm and in high school joined the Future Farmers of America. I raised animals to be shown at the fair and then be auctioned off for slaughter. I was mature enough to understand that in order to feed a mostly meat-eating population, animals were raised to be killed.

Every year I recalled seeing some young 4-H children in the pens with their animals hugging them around their necks or stroking their fur and weeping. These children had bonded with their animals as pets. How would we feel about giving up our dogs and cats to the slaughterhouse?

4-H is a wonderful organization. The organizers do a lot of good, but perhaps they should consider sparing their younger members the trauma of lovingly raising their animals only to give them up to be killed and eaten.

Paul Ali, Sunland

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To the editor: The animal advocacy movement is home to a number of people who were traumatized as children by surrendering their beloved animals to 4-H organizations.

Cedar the goat certainly would have preferred a life chomping weeds to slaughter. We in the developed world don’t have to kill animals to be well nourished.

Shame on the Shasta fair and the sheriff for their vengeful idiocy.

Debbie Elliott, Pacific Palisades

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To the editor: I hope the young girl and her family who are suing the Shasta Far Assn. have decided not to eat meat or raise animals for consumption.

Caroline Spoja, La Habra

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To the editor: What of the Shasta County fair officials? Didn’t they read “The Merchant of Venice” in high school? I quote:

“The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”

And so on. Look up and read the whole passage. It is beautiful. Shakespeare was the GOAT — the greatest of all time.

This also points up the value of English classes and English teachers.

David T. Jones, Los Angeles