Barbaric 'sport'

They just don't get it. The two Canton boys who sicced their pit bull on a cat, with fatal results, don't get it. Neither do their friends who, angry that the dog warden took the dog away, threatened to kill the cat owner's other pets. The callousness of these children is mind-boggling. But events hundreds of miles away put this disgusting, disturbing incident in a more understandable context. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, indicted on charges of operating a dog fighting ring, is a timely symbol of a subculture in this country that regards animals as instruments of fear, as sources of bloody amusement and, ultimately, as disposable commodities when they outlive their usefulness. Police say the Canton boys had raised the pit bull in secret, and it showed the scars of previous fights. These kids need punishing - and they need all the help they can get to instill respect for living things. And residents who know of dog fighting in Canton need to tell police what they know. It's bad enough that adults engage in this barbaric practice. It seems clear that it appeals to a whole new generation, as well.