Posted on 05/24/2009 2:34:10 PM PDT by JoeProBono
LODI, Calif. -- A community controversy is brewing in Lodi.
A neighbor posted a sign with the words, "Hit a cat, I'll hit your kid." Some neighbors said they are concerned their children's lives are being threatened.
"Basically what this is saying is: Hit a cat and I'll hit your kid," said Tina Teixeira.
Teixeira got a lot of attention after she put the sign up in front of her West Elm Street home in Lodi.
"You don't want me to hit your kid so don't hit mine. You hurt mine, that is just like if I went over and ran over your kid. Basically, that is what I was intending," said Teixeira.
Teixeira said she decided to take action after a driver ran over and killed her cat on the bike lane on Friday.
Some parents were outraged over her cardboard note.
"Basically she is threatening to hit people's kids," said concerned neighbor Joann Larsen.
"One parent said that I was psychotic," said Teixeira.
Teixeira said she wanted to shock drivers, not harm their kids.
Teixeira said she knows her sign would upset people but she put it up because she is tired of people driving 65 mph on a 35 mph zone.
She said she noticed some cars slowing down and reading her sign so she wrote a new sign.
"After burying the cat and calming down a little bit ... (I realized) that it was a little shock value. It got attention for people, so I thought that I would put it in more understanding terms," said Teixeira.
The revised sign reads: I watch for your kids, so please watch out for mine.
"That is the whole point here is to stop hurting animals," said Teixeira.
Teixeira said she isn't shy about yelling at drivers and even her neighbors. She said she even mentioned she spit on someone to protect her cats.
Only one neighbor wanted to talk about her sign on camera. Others said they wanted to avoid any problems.
"I do like that she changed it," Larsen said.
The animal lover said she can only hope she can keep her cats from losing another life.
Teixeira said some of her feral cats don't like to stay indoors.
She said she hopes her sign will get city leaders to install speed bumps in her neighborhood, which is right near a school.
What flippin’ sicko purposely kills or runs-over animals that are not used for food?
Serial killers
Rapists
Domestic Violence types
or
those youngsters on that road to h*ll.
Perhaps there are a few mean kids in the neighborhood. I know I have a few too. They will be so bold as to venture into the yards to chase down my neighbors in/out cat. Try throwing rocks and beating him with a stick. The old guy will fight back!!! Attack cat if you don't know. They don't venture into my yard anymore after I turned the hose on them too, just like the neighbor cat.
The cat has settled down in recent years, but the kids are coming of age and yeah...I don't see them respecting life of any kind(s).
Driving, or riding a bike lawfully does not equate to “potential murderers”.
Besides Animals cant be murdered. They can be killed recklessly and with out regard which is WRONG and sinful, but its not the same thing as murder.
IT’S an animal that ran out in traffic!
Dooh!
Lighten up, Tina.
The liberal couple in "In a Yugo" when they swerved to avoid a baby duck.
“purposely”?
Where was that proven?
I ran over a dog once. It wasnt on purpose. The animal ran out in the road in the middle of the night.
Ahh yes... I remember.
driver ran over and killed her cat on the bike lane on Friday.
“But they drove with pride...”
Hmmm......
As I said, It aint a “Cat Lane” Was the bike rider supposed to take a tumble to avoid “Foo Foo”? Lose a couple of teeth? Maybe get a head injury?
She’s going to have to not let the cats run. But I feel her on this one. My cat is important to me like a child would be.
In my book, speeding in a residential (speed limit approx. 25 mph) equates to murder if you hit someone............
She made a point and I agree with it.
While I have an indoor cat, if I lived in a residential area and my dog escaped from my yard and ran across the street while you were speeding thru it, I'd hunt you down, and if you had pets in your yard, and you parked on the street, I'd toss some poisoned hamburger into your yard then set fire to your car at about 3:00 a.m.
But that's just me.......
In a Yugo....
Squashed by an SUV, now they’re out of luck......
She is a nut.
I highly doubt people are whizzing through her neighborhood at 65 per.
Stop it! Now this is just getting silly!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.