If you have a dog

[MarkP]

I am honestly confused by the tone of your response Dick. I offered what I thought was a sincere, harmless, and relatively flattering observation that you were different than the average yokel who gets tough about dogs. It was brought on by the general observation that threatening people's dogs comes with a cost. In Tom's case that cost comes from some ***hole who clearly lives to intimidate others, is willing to put his dog at risk to do so, and has gone to great pains to give the impression that Tom had to just take it or else, while in your case it is because you care about dogs. I have to admit that I again chose my words poorly because I now see that "it is interesting that" sounds like code for sarcasm. That is not what I intended. I assume now that you inferred from my post that I think you speak as you do because you are one of those yokels and that you now have to set me straight.

I honestly think that it is counterproductive to voice such strong sentiments when the people who are living through this problem are the ones who have to live with it and may not feel in a position to rashly throw their weight around. I have already gotten in trouble for seeming to not side with the victims here. I have offered the observation that if it came down to it, if kids and other innocent people were truly at risk, then given the big picture that includes having to deal with a crazy b*****d who is behaving criminally and using his dog as a weapon of intimidation, I would approve of whatever method gets the job done. I still feel that way and cowardice has nothing to do with it. I admire Tom and his neighbors for pursuing what I consider the best, albeit most taxing and frustrating, course of action in going through the proper channels.

I think I am a pretty reasonable guy, and generally I am a really nice, generous and loyal guy. How is it then that you see fit to threaten me with death and being thrown down a lava tube?