I haven't been following many of the PETA/lab posts lately because I've
been skimming my FML's due to time restraints, but Bill May's caught my eye
yesterday and I wanted to throw in my .02 cents worth.  I personally joined
this list to learn about ferrets when I was a new ferret owner and had no
idea what I was doing.  I look forward to receiving it everyday and have
made a lot of new friends from it, as well as having learned a lot about
ferrets.  I think ferret issues such as bad breeders/pet store
ethics/laboratory use/etc are important to many of us as ferret owners, but
(as eloquently stated by BIG in the last issue) that is not the purpose for
us.  If people want to get together to discuss those things and then move
their discussion off the list when it starts to get lively, I think that's
great, and hey, I may even join you.  But I as a ferret lover felt rather
insulted when Bill suggested that most of us don't really care about our
ferrets or the ferret issues.  I was first attracted to ferrets because of
their "wacky personalities" and I continue to love them for it.  And like
most ferret parents I love to brag about them.  Just because we don't always
bring up the dark side of life doesn't mean we don't care, and it doesn't
give someone the right to insinuate that we are less ferret worthy because
we don't talk about it.  Most of us don't post things like "hey, my ferrets
did some real cute things today, and oh by the way we really need to stop
that lab testing on ferrets".  I didn't join this list to read abnout that
stuff.  I think the issues are important and I'm glad I know about them;
there are many ferret issues I would never have known existed if it weren't
for this list.  But the flaming debates, the name calling (which does
occasionally happen), etc are not why we joined this list.  It's to share
about our ferrets and learn...and to love them and meet other people who
love them.  With all the subscribers on this list, I think a lot of us get
tired of old worn out debates and stop paying attention.  I'm glad BIG
moderates this list, I think he does a great job, and I don't think it
threatens our free speech, I think it keeps most of us sane. :)   Bill, I
think if you want to get things done you need to stop debating and start
trying to get people to help and act rather than insulting us by saying we
don't really care about our ferrets.  You catch more flies with honey than
vinegar.  It just makes us not want to listen anymore OR to try and pick
fights with you.  Sorry this was so long.
 
Kristi (Kitchen Consultant with The Pampered Chef) and the Mad Menagerie:
        Mayonnaise, Clover, Luna, and Loki (Mustelid Mob of Mayhem)
        Boo (the cat) and Casey (the kitten)
(see the crew at:  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/4093 )
 
Reach me by ICQ. My ICQ# is 194656 OR
by yucky AOL: My IM name is EmaniaE
 
ferrets are like potato chips...you can't have just one!
[Posted in FML issue 2394]