I'm sorry if I offended you Alicia, but the statements had to be made.
Being well respected in the ferret community, I FEEL you should set an
example.  Respond calmly, professionally and in the right tone.  Ferrets
(we as their people also) need to be stood up for but in a manner that
helps not hurts.  I was always told to accept an apology and not to
question it's authenticity.  Keeping the anger alive will in retrospect
hurt the ferrets and make us in the ferret community look like nothing
more than unforgiving morons.  You are respected because of what you do
to help the plight of the ferrets be it legislation, rescues, etc., but
by reacting in such a manner as to berating Stillers efforts by saying
basically that he didn't mean it is pure childish.  You have not a clue
whether he meant it or not.  I don't question his sincereness, only that
he understand what harm he may or has caused.  It's not my place or your
to question his motives.  Matter of fact, I sent him a thank you note.
Im sorry, but again, this is getting out of hand.  Please don't pretend
that I know nothing and you know more than I, that's uncalled for and
unfair.  Although maybe just maybe I haven't had ferrets as long, I have
done and helped with rescues and help shelters in more ways than just
financially.
 
I tend to look at things such as this as a reason for you, another
respected shelter mom or someone else to put ferrets in a positive light.
Go on those shows, animal planet whatever and show people about ferrets,
not take what a few have said and get so riled up you do more harm than
good.  Sending nasty letters at this point does NOT accomplish anything
except make us look bad.  I can't believe you can't see that.  If I
remember correctly Jeanne Carley has also made this statement.  Basically
please send letter but be nice otherwise you accomplish nothing except
making us look foolish, more or less.
 
I don't question all you have done for ferrets over the years, not at
all which is why this downright overzealous anger (even after someone
apologized) is throwing me for a loop, however you say "we" the forgiving
public are uneducated in what this has or might do to the plight of
ferrets everywhere?  There is a smart, dignified and more responsible way
to go about this.  You can be angry, you can be mad as hell, you can be
offended by some or all of his remarks but you MUST not wear your heart
on your sleeve such as to make a humongeous mistake as encouraging the
people of the ferret community to act out in anger.
 
Yes, you have done a lot and for that you are respected but carry this
out in anger and with hostility and you lose that respect.  Whether you
care or not, well that's up to you.  I still feel you should set an
example that we all should follow and that's by putting our beloved
ferrets in front of your anger by using what has happened in a positive
way with tact, responsibility, politeness and forgiveness.  If you speak
and react in anger you are only hurting our causes regardless.
 
Mr. Stiller has made restitution by apologizing and explaining that the
"bite" was not as horrible as he (jokingly or not) made it sound.  That
he neither is for or against the Legalization efforts in Ca and that fact
the ferret keepers are scarier then the ferrets themselves (hell, yes we
are).  I laughed at that one.  Yes, I can laugh at it because the way
people are overreacting makes it laughable and true.  So, go on fight for
your cause, our cause Alicia but please if you are speaking for the mass
majority of us ferret loving people please, please do so with tact so as
not to make some us look as though we cannot act without anger and
resentment.
 
Oh yes, I know nothing and don't have a clue and I'm uneducated, Should
I now be offended?  Im not, not because I shouldn't be offended, but
because I am trying to stick to what matters here, not your anger but
what your anger is producing (be it enticing people to write rude and
nasty letters )and what that anger dirrected at the wrong people in the
wrong form can do to harm everyones efforts.
 
Sincerely
Leanne B
[Posted in FML issue 4398]