My personal reaction to the horrible events in Washington is to try to do
something, anything; I find it impossible to even think about what happened.
Jackie's post about how she could hear the ferrets screaming is one of the
most disturbing things I've heard.  My heart goes out to Jean and the
surviving ferrets.
 
People have come up with many generous and wonderful ways to help, both on a
physical and spiritual level--paying the vet bills, paying for medicine,
sending money to Jean, arranging for grief counseling, making phone calls to
the police and prosecutor's offices, remembering the ferrets on the rainbow
bridge and memorial park websites, lighting candles to honor the little ones
so brutally killed.
 
My personal feeling is that all of these are very important, no one more
than another.  I feel that whatever people do has an effect.  I also think
that, while responding to an emergency is critical, whatever we can do to
prevent something from happening is even more important.  Someone posted
about helping your local shelter.  I also think that humane education for
kids is vital.  Teaching kids at a VERY early age to respect all creatures
should not be taken lightly.  Getting these programs into schools and after
school programs is very important, along with passing laws to protect
animals.  These things are often time consuming and you may never see a
'direct' effect.  But whatever we can do to prevent cruelty is better than
dealing with it afterwards.
 
And finally, a note of caution to anyone who is involved with helping others.
I've been bitten and scratched many, many times by cats or ferrets who were
frightened or may have been abused.  But I think trying to help an abused
animal is very different from trying to help a person who is really sick,
even though that person may also have been abused.  I don't even want to
think about what kind of background this psychopath may have had, and I am
sure many people genuinely tried to help him along the way.  But sometimes a
victim can become an abuser, and I would caution anyone trying on their own
to help people-- especially adults--to be really careful.  I don't mean this
to sound condescending or overly obvious, or to try to discourage people
from reaching out to others.  I also don't mean this at all as a judgment in
this particular case, but it's something I've been thinking about.  I hope
that people will continue to help in whatever way they feel is best.  I know
that help is still much needed and greatly appreciated.
 
-- Ronnie DiComo
Ralphie, Harry, Prince Charming, Merlin, Roxanne and Petunia's mom, grateful
that they are healthy and safe
From Merlin: "Did someone out there call me a sissy???  Lemme at him!  I'll
bite him on the neck and drag him around and then hide him under the kitchen
cabinet!!"
[Posted in FML issue 2148]