Man's Best Friend

I have been mulling over a story here in NYC a lot. It's about a man and his dog.  This man, named Nick, rescued a pitbull, named Rocco. Rocco became Nick's best friend.  The condo that Nick and Rocco lived in changed the dog rules two years ago.  Really nothing that objectionable.  No big dogs (which would include pitbulls), dogs can't use the passenger elevator, and dogs can't be alone for more than 9 hours.  None of those rules seem too harsh as a fellow apartment dweller.  For some reason, which is unclear to me, Nick and Rocco felt harassed and tortured by the board.  Even if Nick felt that Rocco had to leave the building, how can you explain what was to follow?  Nick took his beloved dog to the vet on Nick's 47th birthday and had the vet put him down.  Nick went home and took his own life. I have thought about this all weekend.  I can't understand how it all played out in his head.  I can't understand why a vet would put down a healthy dog. I can't understand why Nick didn't look for another home for Rocco, if he felt so threatened, or moved for that matter.  The whole scenario is painful and inexplicable.  

The NY Post has highlighted this story for 3 days now.  A friend of mine told me to read the comments on the internet because he was so astonished by how anti-semitic the remarks were.  I looked through the comments and thought it takes so little to reveal their ugly sides and at the same time say they aren't anti-semites, while they write egregious statements about Jews. I believe that some of the condo board members are Jewish which is where the hate speech was directed.  There isn't a time or a place for hate speech. There is no justification ever. I digress, I am not doing this entire story justice because I think I must be missing something. It doesn't add up. It is a tragedy but wasn't it avoidable?  Wasn't there another way?  If any people reading this and have an explanation, please let me know.

Sidebars: I can't believe that for 18 years, Screen Actors Guild actors have been congratulating themselves with awards. I am not saying it isn't enjoyable, but I have never felt it necessary. There are too many awards shows which has almost made the Oscars irrelevant. We've heard the speeches so many times by the time the never-ending Academy Awards Show airs.  The whole self-congratulatory thing makes me feel uncomfortable. Did anyone hear Alec Baldwin's less than humble acceptance speech?  Yuck! The beloved Mary Tyler Moore seemed a bit off her game, which I found disconcerting. Dick Van Dyke was stellar. He makes me happy. I can't shake off the Governor Jan Brewer finger wagging.  I can't believe that we have gotten so off course, that there wasn't a cacophony of outrage by everyone.  Not only was there silence from the right, Governer Brewer's moderately sold book soared into bestselling status.  Really?  That's where we are? Insult the President and get 1.5 million book sales overnight????!!!!