You have 'Dad' in your screen name. Would you allow your kids to taunt an elderly woman? You would really consider it a freedom of speech issue? Since the parents put the cat to sleep over the issue, instead of keeping it inside, they sound like a pair of idiots. I wouldn't expect them to straighten the kid out - they probably are encouraging it. But as conservative poster... you would be happy about their behavior?
Actually the article doesn't say that.
The boy's mother said the family got rid of their cat