Todd wrote:
>The article (which I read) stated that when the policeman confronted Pat,
>he had a "kitchen knife" in his hands. He was in his house and was in
>possession of a kitchen knife. That statement was never clarified.
Actually, it has been clarified, though not in that particular article. In
other articles and interviews Mr. Wright has admitted picking up a butcher
knife in "self defense" AND in court expressed remorse for doing so. When
Mr. Wright is out of jail (any day now) perhaps he will clarify further.
In the meantime, check out:
http://www.apbnews.com/newscenter/breakingnews/2000/02/02/ferret0202_01.html
and
http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=2%2F23%2F2000&PrgID=2
>people are espousing opinions, without paying close enough attention to
>what was said, nor thinking about how things happen in the real world ...
>Finally, don't go around calling people "fanatics" when you don't know
>anything about them.
I myself didn't use the word fanatic. According to the definition I just
pulled up from dictionary.com: "a person marked or motivated by an extreme,
unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause," it might be a fair assessment.
More importantly, in your post, you take people to task for making
assumptions, yet here you are making assumptions as well.
I DO know something about Mr. Wright -- a great deal in fact. I've spent
time with him. I've heard him speak passionately about his cause. I've
read the FA website that he maintains.
I know that he continued to keep ferrets while on probation for an earlier
possession conviction. I know that he took ferrets out in public in a
FFZ -- an action that exposes them minimally to confiscation and
deportation. I know facts that haven't appeared in news items or on FML
and which in protection of Mr. Wright's privacy I shan't reveal in this
forum.
Mr Wright's behavior puts ferrets at risk, though I don't believe that he
means it to. I believe that his pain over the loss of Rocky has clouded
his judgement. That he would brandish a knife at San Diego police just
shows how far his judgement has slipped. These guys don't mess around!
He's fortunate still be alive.
I DO feel tremendous compassion for Mr. Wright. He is a suffering human
being! BUT, the bottom line is the welfare of the ferrets -- Mr. Wright's
own business and other ferrets currently residing behind the Stupid
Curtain. And the bottom line is that it doesn't do the ferrets any good
whatsoever to turn Mr. Wright into some kind of righteous martyr for the
cause.
Christine wrote:
>To the people who have been knocking Pat. Firstly put yourself in his
>position the day he opened the door.
But he DIDN'T open the door. He refused to open the door and picked up a
knife when the police broke it down -- and he admitted this in court.
>for you all to be bad mouthing him especially while he is in jail and
>can't defend himself actually makes me quite ill. He has represented FA
>in San Diego for a long time, dedicated ALL his free time, used ALL HIS
>OWN money to help abandoned ferrets, helped pay vet bills for ferret
>owners who couldn't afford it themselves rather than watching them suffer
I am not bad-mouthing Mr. Wright NOR am I disputing that he has been
dedicated and generous within the California ferret community. He has a
huge heart.
What I am saying is that because that huge heart was broken with the loss
of Rocky, his actions in this situation were not smart and were detrimental
to the cause of ferret legalisation in California. I can appreciate Mr.
Wright's dedication, empathize with his emotional pain, feel horrible that
he is in jail AND say that what he did was dangerous, rash, and patently
not in the best interest of California ferrets.
Life is not black and white, but inifinite shades of grey ...
[LE]
[Posted in FML issue 2972]
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