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Rose76 · Oct 26, 2011, 11:34 AM

There is such a thing as righteous anger. You'ld be pretty unhealthy, IMO, if you weren't angry. How to best channel it is a big challenge. I don't have any great suggestions. But I'm trying to think. Now, your pending claim would come under Tort law, I think. The Byz can correct that if I'm off, as I am no legal expert whatsoever. However, didn't these people violate something other than your rights. Aren't there laws against wantonly endangering animals, even if they didn't belong to anyone? Doesn't that come under the heading of Criminal law?

Okay, I understand that - with a license - you can legally hunt certain animals with specified restrictions. But if you turned your domestic dogs loose in the wild and they killed or damaged some protected species, or any animals your weren't licensed to hunt, I think you could get prosecuted for that. It wouldn't be by way of someone filing a Tort claim.

So I'm wondering - why isn't some animal lovers group demanding that this neighbor get prosecuted as criminally violating the public's interest in preventing persons from causing the wrongful death or harm of any animal? Perhaps, you could solicit some support. Seven years ago can be ancient history, news-wise. I am wondering, were there no others in your community or surrounding communities who were outraged at this? Maybe you need some publicity about the plight of the ponies.

One year I was planning to go to a State Fair, until I heard about a very disturbing "attraction" at the Fair. It was an Show Act that involved a horse jumping from a platform into a container of water. I was horrified. Well, I was not alone. The "Act" got canceled the day after it opened. I think the "Showman" staging this performance was lucky to get out of the state alive. Also, there was a loud hue and cry of collective disgust expressed against the organizers of the Fair. An awful lot of people care very much about animal welfare. (I also realize an awful lot don't. But they're jerks.)

Well that might be going away from the subject at hand. I am giving some thought to the issue of "forgiveness." It seems to me that forgiveness follows repentance. Real repentance implies the desire to make restitution. On another level, it would be up to the horses, in my view, to be the "forgivers" for the pain they suffered. I wouldn't think you would have a right to forgive someone for hurting me.

I'm not suggesting you forever embrace a burden of bitterness that time may help you let go of. But I wouldn't be in any rush to try and summon up feelings of forgiveness that may just not be there. You have chosen to try and address this through the legal system. It doesn't sound like you have undertaken a vendetta against these neighbors. If that is the case, then that's plenty high-minded enough of you. You don't need to overdo it.

They probably have not been living their lives in fear the past four years, and that is where they will have made a grave error in judgement. It is in the nature of reckless, careless, selfish people to live without fear of consequences. That is how they end up designing their own tragedies. When I see it happen to people who have hurt me, I am amazed at how often I kind of feel quite sad for them. They may seem conniving and cunning, but no one outsmarts life indefinitely.

In my experience, people who cause harm eventually reap what they sow. The Law may fail to compel them to recompense you. (Still, let's hope not.) Life, however, is likely to recompense them as they deserve. I don't know how this happens, but I've seen it so often that I'm astonished. If they and you stay neighbors, you may someday see that life tends to bring tragedy to those who cause tragedy. I'm not suggesting that this is something for us to be gleeful about. Nor does it give you back what you lost.

I have some reflection to offer on you're generous nature that regards this opposing attorney as "not a bad person." Well, I guess she's not Jack The Ripper. Then again, there are a lot of worthy causes that a person smart enough to get through law school could devote their talent to. It is not only poor, young, drug addicted women who prostitute what they have to offer.

My thoughts expressed here are not meant to stoke the fire of your anger. Just the opposite. Maybe you can look at some things with a bit more coldness. That might balance you a bit. Maybe not, IDK.

One last item. I'm not so sure we get to live long enough to achieve closure on the biggest hurts that have happened to us. Instead, I think we learn to live with the lack of closure, on our good days. Just the same, I think you absolutely should meet with the therapist and psychiatrist to go over your records, if you can arrange that. I think that would be an empowering process. Those records are about YOU. So who better to take a good look at them than you?

I know this is a dumb question because I'm sure you thought of it a thousand times more than I have, but isn't there something else you could part with rather than the Mustang. Would the revenue from selling him really bail you out of much of your financial trouble? I know absolutely nothing about farm finance. I'm sure you didn't come to considering that option easily.

Take Care, Rose