The practice of trapping animals with devices that clamp down on their legs or other body parts is extremely cruel. The trapped animals suffer greatly for a long time. It’s something civilized societies – and all societies – should have banned many, many decades, if not centuries, ago.

It is disturbing to think that some people still fight against banning traps. An editorial posted Wednesday on the Stamford Advocate website out of Connecticut rightfully calls it “state-sanctioned animal cruelty.”

The piece notes bans are opposed by “the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and so-called sportsmen’s groups.” It is also noted that some claim the traps have padded clamps. These people are completely uneducated in understanding the level of self-awareness in animals and in the fact that animals can suffer both emotionally and physically.

We need a national ban on trapping, with serious criminal punishments for engaging in this level of cruelty.