BRAVO, Bob!  We are weakened when we have too many assertions with too
little (or no) proof.  It damages us when we try to get improvements
(including better laws to protect ferrets, changes to corporations, etc.)
when we are seen as having too many members who are angry, rude, or who
say insupportable statements that lead to demeaning terms like "crackpot"
being used by opponents of ferret well-being.  Those failures have hurt
ferret folks efforts time and time again and the sadest thing is that
they are preventable.  When making a general assertion be prepared to
refer folks to reputable verification.  It's one thing to to say, "This
was my experience" and a totally different thing to say, "This is
truth.".  When trying to get changes be polite and have your supporting
documents handy.  Remember, Alicia was able to rapidly get a law passed
without opposition for better ages of sale and transport in NH by being
polite, and friendly, and carrying a big bunch of verifying documents
rather than a big stick.  That's the way it works and to get what ferrets
need we have to play by the rules of this century.
 
I do not agree that animals should not be sold as companions.  I know
that some people and some groups (like Peta and one vet's group aligned
with it that is covered in the FML archives in past posts from a few
years back in their own letters) have at times gone beyond thinking that
stores need to have stricter controls over them, and right into thinking
that all companion animals should be sterilized and allowed to die off
(even saying so in some of their own materials).  There are a PILE of
reasons to disagree, but I'm going to present just one genetic one
right now -- those pools may well provide the remain reservior for some
aspects of genetic variation.
[Posted in FML issue 3860]