Someone on the fml quoted me below...
 
>>And as you'll notice in the latest response Valerie posted, she is
>>planning to attend college anyway which means she won't be around to
>>care for them.
 
>This just doesn't make sense.  Going to college doesn't mean you have to
>give up your pets.  Shoot, I had pets (cats; I hadn't discovered ferrets
>yet) in college as I'm sure many others here did.  I had my cats through
>several chaotic years afterwards, too (and still do).  I have even moved
>with fish.  (THERE's an adventure.) If you're committed to your pets it
>shouldn't make one bit of difference.  This is similar to assuming that
>all young people are irresponsible - I don't believe that one either.
>We have to take people and their circumstances as individuals, not
>according to some blanket classifications."
 
Excuse me?  If you are going to quote me don't take my words out of
context.  I am not making any "blanket classifications" about young
people or people who go to college, etc... That couldn't be further from
the truth.  If you'll go back and read what I actually said, I said that
I "DON'T think Valerie was irresponsible".  To the contrary, I think she
did what she felt was best for the ferrets under the circumstances.  It's
funny how two people can read something and come away from it with a
totally different perspective on the matter.
 
I also said in my last post that age has nothing to do with whether
someone is responsible or not.  Did you not read that?  I am totally
against stereotypes or sweeping generalizations about anything, so I
would never imply that everyone who is young or attends college can't
handle the responsibility of caring for an animal.  To say that would
go against everything I believe in.
 
I'll be turning 27 this month, am married and have a 6 year old child.
We have pets at home and will have them with us for life, but that
doesn't mean that everyone can do that.  I would never look down my nose
at someone for having to find their pet a home if something came up where
they couldn't keep them.  I think Valerie did the responsible thing.  The
only thing I even really expressed an opinion on was about her asking for
the ferrets back.  I could care less whether she asks for them back or
not.  I was just saying that it would be up to the current owners to
decide whether to give them back and that no one could blame them if they
didn't choose to give them back.  But as I said, it's not my issue so I
could care less what they do.  I have not said anything rude to or about
Valerie, so please don't lump me in to that category with those who have
been.  If you'll go back and reread the second post I did apologize for
misunderstanding the part about the shelter.  Not that it even mattered
to me where she took the ferets.  I wasn't saying it in a negative way,
but I just mentioned in the post something briefly about her taking them
to a shelter (because others had gotten the facts wrong and said she had
take them to a shelter) and someone later quoted and corrected me,
stating that she gave them to a friend, not to a shelter.  It was a
simple misunderstanding; no big deal.  I wasn't condemning her for taking
them to a shelter anyway, so I don't understand why some have latched on
to that one comment.
 
And now you are quoting me about the comment I made about her going to
college, accusing me of generalizing people... *sighs* I was simply
saying that Valerie seems happy with where her ferrets are now living
and she herself said that it's probably best this way now that she is
starting school and will be very busy.  Those were HER words, not mine.
I was simply quoting what she said, so I don't know how you come away
from that thinking I am "making blanket classifications" about people in
college.  I was not doing any such thing.  Basically I was trying to say
that none of this should even be an issue because Valerie is happy with
where the ferrets are...She is the one who mentioned that it was probably
best since she is going to school.
 
This is the last thing I am going to reply to about the whole Valerie
subject.  I think it's starting to wear thin.  I just love how people
take one comment out of context and then run with it.  Then a whole
thread gets started that lasts for weeks or months - half of which is
based on misunderstandings.  At least I had the decency to admit where
I misunderstood something, even though it wasn't a big deal to me where
she took them.  I was never judging her in the first place because I
think she seems like a responsible person.  Please try not to over
examine things and attach your own interpretations to it in the future.
 
This is all I have to say on this issue.  Good luck to you Valerie and I
hope everything works out for you.  You seem like a nice person.  Take
care. :)
[Posted in FML issue 4077]