What follows is an amazing comparison of two posts on the same day;
one by Zen and the other in contradiction by Pete and Jody Fernandez.
 
Please read on ... and enjoy.
 
This is PART ONE (1) of a two part msg with part two following.
[Moderator's note: Posts combined.  BIG]
 
Lipinski writes: I would invite all readers of the Ferret Mailing List
to read Killian's (he goes by Zen ) post of 30 Dec and compare it to
Fernandez' post of the same date.  (See below) I have a little trouble with
Mr. Killian's word "honestly." In the past I've expressed blatant disdain
for Mr. Killian's Home Page wherein he (?) is holding a sable ferret up to
an infant's face, presumably his own infant, who is now 4.
 
Before composing this invitation to readers of the FML I went to Mr.
Killian's web page out of curiosity to verify if that offensive (offensive
to me) photo was still on his web page.  Lo and Behold!  It was gone.  No
more depiction of his holding an adult ferret up in contact with an
infant's face.
 
Well, now I must congradulate Mr. Killian for his apparent wisdom in
removing that picture, especially since there was no disclaimer or caution
whatsoever anywhere around or near that depiction of forced intimacy
between ferrets and infants.
 
Yet, however, the bigger question.  Why Bill, in the context of your
statements below, why oh why did you remove that picture?  Somehow I get
a mixed message from you; to wit - your words don't seem to match your
actions.  Ya know what I mean?  Buddha, how 'bout a little help here
please?
 
            ----------------------
>From:  William Killian - Zen and the Art of Ferrets <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: zen on both controversies...
>>From:    Edward Lipinski <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Blood on our hands
>May I suggest that as a spokesman (?) for such a wonderful org as the
>Utah United Ferret Org.  that Mr. Rick qualify his "wonderful companion"
>words to reflect the KNOWN & DOCUMENTED & PROVEN behavior of some few
>ferrets that have in the past, do now in the present, and will continue in
>the future to cause serious physical and possibly mental damage to human
>infants and to children (kids),"
wrote Lipinski & Killian quotes.
           ---------------------------
Killian writes: You tried this rant against us before.  Not everything that
is said needs to be qualified to the point of hiding the truth.  Too many
disclaimers are as bad as not enough warnings.
 
Lipinski writes: Gobbledygook! (look it up)
 
Killian writes:
>I can not in all honesty say that there is a "known, documented, and
>proven" behvior in ferrets to injure infants and children.  There just
>isn't enough evidence to state it anywhere near that strongly.  I know of
>no animal that I really think is much safer with children than ferrets.
>Certainly not dogs and cats.  All animals can injure children in some way
>... Everything is a risk and we should acknowledge the risk - yes.  It is
>slight NOT the dread horror you state.  Nearly everyone here acknowledges
>that children should not be left unsupervised with children.  (Zen most
>likely means "FERRETS should not be left unsupervised with children.") That
>is plenty of disclaimer and does not need to be said everytime we say
>ferrets are wonderful pets.  And yes for children too.  Our son has his
>"own" ferret .  .  .
 
>From:    Pete & Jody Fernandez <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: biting infants and shelters in FL?
>
>I've been lurking -- but here's my two cents (one for each fuzzy).  I moved
>to tampa from Columbus Ohio five years ago.  Before the move there were two
>incidents of ferrets severely biting infants.  These were documented and
>the photos sad and appalling . . ..  Not to stand up for old Jungle
>Jack, but precedence was set in Ohio.  As a parent and pet owner, it is up
>to the adults in the household to ensure the safety of both the children
>and the pets.The ferrets cannot be blamed, the infants cannot be blamed;
>the adults must be blamed.
 
(Lipinski muses: the fault is the parents alone?  Hmmmm . . .  I wonder.)
 
           ---------------------------
 
Lipinski summarizes: Since posting "Blood on our hands" there have been
posts by ferret owners praising the benign and benevolent behavior of their
ferrets and even one case where the mother allows her ferret to sleep in
the infant's crib with the infant.  And too there are the childish posts
(I'm trying to be kind) where the ferret's owner is speaking through his
ferret, just as though the ferret itself were speaking to us via the
printed word.  Surely some will consider that as "cute." My opinion - You
don't wanna' know!
 
I think we should understand that there is a ferret out there today, there
will be one tomorrow, and there will another one thereafter that will cause
physical harm to an infant, regardless of parental supervision.  It's gonna
happen folks, like it or not.  Why?  Why?
 
What I plead for, and it certainly is not blame, is please, please good
people let's do what we can in our ignorance and stupidity to find out why
some few ferrets are wont to apparently harm an infant (vast majority don't
that's for sure).  Do we need more "honesty" as typified in the Zen posting
and web page?  Turn away from such and take the first step to find the
answer(s), such as, for example, what miniscule percentage of the genetic
map of the domesticated (?) ferret differs from the wolverine's, mink,
weasel (ermine), martin, fisher, polecat, badger, otter, skunk and that
rapacious killer of prairie dogs, the native American black-footed ferret?
 
To you out there I'd ask: A domesticated (?) or rather a trained (?) ferret?
 
Which?  Which do we have?
 
Edward Lipinski, The Ichiban Tomodachi [J.] The number 1 friend of all
ferrets & Kamerad des Frettchens [G.] Same as the Japanese [J.]
[Posted in FML issue 2556]