Two incidents, just a few months apart, have outraged residents of Willow Glen and Campbell. Jackson, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel was poisoned in April in the backyard of his Willow Glen home. And now, a dozen ducks have been killed at the Delta Queen Car Wash in Campbell. To date the responsible parties have not been caught, even though the reward funds are significant.

In Jackson's case, the reward is about $3,500. In the case of the dead ducks the fund has grown quickly to more than $18,000.

Like others in our local communities, I am disgusted by the incidents. My sympathy goes out to Holly Kollenborn, who lost her dog to some heartless soul. I also know how cute ducks can be. I used to live in a complex that was home to a family of ducks and their ducklings. It was relaxing to watch these water-loving creatures meander around the pathways and into the ponds. But no matter how cute and sweet these creatures are, all this attention on ducks and dogs appears misguided when looking at the bigger picture--our world.

Step back for a moment and consider what all that humanitarian energy could do if we reprioritized our focus.

What if we put as much time into the AIDS pandemic, a global crisis that has left millions of African children orphaned? Or how about turning our efforts toward the hungry, homeless and unemployed?

Perhaps these issues are two large for people to wrap their heads around, which is why the duck killing incident strikes a nerve.

Yet consider this option, especially parents of school-age children. What if everyone contributing to the duck fund donated their $5, $10 or $20s' to their local school instead? Every school in our community is running in the red. That duck money could help buy much-needed supplies for teachers and students--supplies that most teachers pay out of their own pockets. Or what if parents earmarked those dollars toward better school lunches or healthier snacks? That brings the priorities down to a level everyone can relate to.

For those without school-aged children, why not donate those small amounts to a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen or a free clinic? Every nonprofit can use financial assistance. Pick one place and send a check. There is no reason for a shelter, youth center or soup kitchen to close due to lack of funds. Everyone in our community should care about helping those less fortunate, because their problems eventually become ours on a financial and socioeconomic level.

Honestly, a reward fund for a duck killer topping $18,000 has got to have us all wondering if we've veered a bit off course when it comes to what we place at the top of a list.

Whether the duck or dog killers are caught, we still have bigger issues--hunger, poverty, education--to address even on a local level. These are the civic lessons we should be teaching our children.

Yes, what happened is outrageous. Yes, these individuals need to be caught and brought to justice. And yes, it quite apparent that there are some very disturbed people walking around our communities.

But in the big scheme of things, when putting it all into perspective, we can do a whole lot more if those dollars went to educate, nourish and clothe our community.

Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@community-newspapers.com.