Blog stage 4

     On March 12, 2019, The Chicago Tribune posted an editorial entitled "Another horrific puppy mill: Why Congress should crack down on animal cruelty". It is an editorial piece written by the editorial board from The Chicago Tribune. The piece focuses on the recent raid of a puppy mill in Berrien County, Georgia. They describe the stories and pictures of the 700 dogs as "half past maddening". They utilize this recent story on a topic that most can agree is sad and wrong to bring the reader in and introduce their reasoning as to why Congress should be harsher on animal abuse cases.
     They introduce the assumption that while Americans are divided among many things, most are against the abuse or negligence of animals. This means that this specific piece is aimed at all Americans with the main target being Congress. They go on to praise Congress for implementing the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act back in 2010 in response to graphic animal abuse videos being posted online. While this was a largely beneficial act, the editorial board notes that it does not prohibit animal abuse itself. It is then introduced that Congress is now considering a bill called "The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act".
     While their examples are sparse, the example following their introduction to the PACT is strong and gives the audience a better view of the extent of animal abuse occurring in the United States. The editorial boards claim that PACT is a pressing issue that should be addressed is a fair and valid one. Their piece is short, however, they do a fine job at introducing this issue to those who are aware and unaware of the issue.  The logic is not hard to follow, just don't abuse animals.