Zouma

PrestonHammer

What's the difference between unlawful and illegal?

Unlawful is against the law, illegal is a dead bird.😁

claretandbluesky

This bird? does anyone know where Zouma was at the time?

IronHerb

Surely its an unmarried city-dwelling young woman described by someone with a lisp.

I'll share that taxi with you........

PrestonHammer

It's supposed to be sick bird hahaha I can't even get the joke right.

IronHerb

Room for three in this taxi. 🚕

PrestonHammer

That taxi doesn't look big enough for the 3 of us hahaha

MrsGrey

https://www.whufc.com/news/donations-made-animal-welfare-charities

Bravo.

IronHerb

https://twitter.com/ThomasVLinge/status/1511785936220213250

alderz

BBC said:

West Ham defender Kurt Zouma has been charged with three offences under the Animal Welfare Act after allegedly harming his cat.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61550710

DJ Hammer

So Zouma’s first court appearance along with his brother Yoan will be on Tuesday morning at Thames Magistrates’ Court. He has been charged with three offences under the Animal Welfare Act after allegedly harming his cat. As we all know he has also been fined £250,000 by West Ham. Running alongside this story is the case regarding Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira.
Police will take no action after Crystal Palace manager's altercation with a fan where he aimed a kick towards said fan. Now I am an animal lover and dog owner but does this not smack of double standards? Or is it just me?

Fortuneseeker

DJ Hammer, I do hope you aren't trying to put a "cat amongst the pigeons"?

DJ Hammer

Fortuneseeker said:

DJ Hammer, I do hope you aren't trying to put a "cat amongst the pigeons"?

Fortune, I wouldn’t be that cruel.

Ravel49

I would say the fan ‘deserved it’ after the taunting he was getting.

What had the cat done wrong?

Ravel49

And trust me I do not like Viera

MrsGrey

DJ, not double standards for the kicking of a person, but double standards that Zouma is bring prosecuted when thousands aren't. I posted at the beginning of the story what a low percentage of prosecutions are initiated.

DJ Hammer

MrsGrey said:

DJ, not double standards for the kicking of a person, but double standards that Zouma is bring prosecuted when thousands aren't. I posted at the beginning of the story what a low percentage of prosecutions are initiated.

Fair enough but it really angers me that the whole country is up in arms about Zouma but they will accept Vieiria’s actions and it looks like the authorities will as well.

Fortuneseeker

High profile footballer kicks his cat so he must be made an example of v Premier League manager has an altercation with a fan who shouldn’t be on the pitch? Coming so soon after the Billy Sharp incident might it have had a different outcome if it hadn’t?

alderz

I think Zouma deserves to be charged and get whatever the punishment is. I am less angry about it all than I was at the time, but I personally think that him being charged is the correct decision.

There's definitely double standards, but I don't think the solution to that is that people abusing animals should be let off because other people are. For me, the solution should be that more people are charged for these offences.

BubblesNeverDies

alderz said:

I think Zouma deserves to be charged and get whatever the punishment is. I am less angry about it all than I was at the time, but I personally think that him being charged is the correct decision.

There's definitely double standards, but I don't think the solution to that is that people abusing animals should be let off because other people are. For me, the solution should be that more people are charged for these offences.

Alderz, I'm interested to know what the point of this prosecution is. He's already been fined by the club with, I believe, the money going to animal charities. He's been hounded by the press and receives the jeering of every opposition team's fans whenever he plays. I think he knows he's done wrong and is sincerely repentant.
Does he have to receive a custodial sentence before all the "righteous anger" is calmed?
John Donne, among others, said "comparisons are odious" but in this case it's very difficult not to compare the lack of prosecutions for far worse abuses of humans to this (in my opinion) witchhunt.
I am a cat lover by the way.

IronHerb

Due process needs to take place. West Ham’s fine was basically window dressing imo.
I’m not a cat lover by the way, but they shouldn’t be mistreated.

BubblesNeverDies

IronHerb said:

Due process needs to take place. West Ham’s fine was basically window dressing imo.
I’m not a cat lover by the way, but they shouldn’t be mistreated.

No need for sarcasm. No-one is arguing the point that they shouldn’t be mistreated.
Due process needs to take place - really?
Is there an obligation for the RSPCA to bring this case? And if so, on what grounds? Have they found severe injuries to the cat that they haven't made public?
Or are you just playing devil's advocate?

alderz

I didn’t read that as sarcasm

IronHerb

alderz said:

I didn’t read that as sarcasm

I didn't write it sarcastically. 🤷‍♂️

IronHerb

BubblesNeverDies said:

IronHerb said:

Due process needs to take place. West Ham’s fine was basically window dressing imo.
I’m not a cat lover by the way, but they shouldn’t be mistreated.

No need for sarcasm. No-one is arguing the point that they shouldn’t be mistreated.
Due process needs to take place - really?
Is there an obligation for the RSPCA to bring this case? And if so, on what grounds? Have they found severe injuries to the cat that they haven't made public?
Or are you just playing devil's advocate?

I would of thought as a cat lover you would know there are animal abuse laws and the RSPCA are the obvious upholder of those laws. No devils advocate here, Zouma appears to have abused the cat and is being taken to task.

BubblesNeverDies

alderz said:

I didn’t read that as sarcasm

Maybe you didn't but I did and that's all that matters. Surely you should understand that.

IH, regardless of whether I'm a cat lover or not, yes I know there are animal abuse laws, but I've asked the question regarding what punishment will satisfy those who are enraged at Zouma.
I've also asked what are the injuries suffered by the cat that the RSPCA have decided to bring a prosecution, since it's at the RSPCA's discretion to do so or not.
It's a witchhunt imo with possible xenophobic, racist undertones.

alderz

I think that when someone in the public eye does something that the vast majority of the population find morally objectionable, that is against the law, and there is publicly available evidence for that crime, then it’s a bit of a leap to call it a racist, Xenophobic witch hunt.

I personally don’t really care what punishment he gets, I’m not expecting or hoping that he goes to prison, I think that would be over the top as a punishment. But I think charging him is the right thing to do, rather than just sweep it under the rug.

And, no, I don’t think that’s all that matters. I could read your two separate posts that called me smug to be rude, but if you didn’t intend them to be then that also matters.

PrestonHammer

Smugerz? 🤔

Bazshuayi

The 2 differences between Viera's fan and the Cat... One was unable to defend itself and has a brain

#Simple

BubblesNeverDies

Alderz, "I could read your two separate posts that called me smug to be rude".

I've searched my posts and can find only one, where you posted a photo of a guy* with a super smug expression, and I responded "Sooooooooooo smug "
How on earth can that be construed as being rude?

*Is he in fact, you?

And still waiting for an answer to this.
"What are the injuries suffered by the cat that the RSPCA have decided to bring a prosecution, since it's at the RSPCA's discretion to do so or not."

PrestonHammer

If the RSPCA do nothing, how will it look to the general public? I'm pretty sure there will be an outrage. It will go to court and I reckon he'll get community service in an animal refuge or something like that. I'm pretty certain he won't be going to prison.