Humane education is a vital component of violence prevention for
the protection of our country’s citizens. The past 18 months have
seen seven school shootings. In each one, it was learned that the
perpetrators had abused, tortured, and killed animals before
moving on to their human victims. The FBI uses reports of animal
cruelty in analyzing the threat potential of suspected and known
violent criminals.  Teachers, parents and students are being asked and trained to look out for the warning signs. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education publishes a pamphlet listing animal cruelty as a warning sign of a troubled and potentially dangerous
child, but the government does not give help or advice in preventing animal cruelty among children.  In 1933, the National PTA Congress stated, “Children trained to extend justice, kindness, and mercy to animals become more just, kind, and considerate in their
relations with each other. Character training along these lines will result in men and women of broader sympathies, more humane, more law-abiding—in every respect more valuable citizens.” Tomorrow’s criminals and violent offenders are in our schools today. We must go to them and help them on a path toward a safe and peaceful future, for society’s sake and for their own. As anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” In all of the talks, town meetings, and summits since the Columbine tragedy, the animal cruelty histories of the children who carried out other school shootings have been left out of the discussions. Please contact Secretary of Education Richard
Riley today and ask him to support humane education as part of
violence prevention programs in our nation’s schools. 

Richard Riley 
Secretary of Education 
U.S. Department of
Education 
400 Maryland Ave. S.W. 
Washington, DC
20202-0498 
Tel.: 202-401-3000 
Fax: 202-401-0596