Hi Robin and Curtis,
 
No flame here.  You can take off your fireproof helmet while you read my
post, anyway!
 
I agree it would be much nicer if we could all get along, and indeed we
are all here for the betterment of fuzzies and to make this a better world
for ferrets, since in so many ways it is not.  Sometimes we can come to
complete agreement on an issue, such as the ludicrous and mean-spirited
ferret ban in NYC that, to the best of my understanding, was based on
Giuliani having a bad bowel movement or something that day, and blaming it
on ferrets!  Unfortunately, there are other issues on which we disagree
about which way is best to help fuzzies, and that's where debate begins
and from there often turns into bitter argument.  BIG calls an end when it
gets nasty but you are correct that sometimes uncalled-for things are said
(I believe yesterday I was accused of promoting terrorism, for my attempt
to explain why I am "on the fence" about animal rights groups in general,
so I understand your frustration at seeing too much name-calling and
blatent attacks and character assasinations).
 
BUT I do apologize, for myself anyway, if the diatribes here have gotten
too intense for you to want your son to read them.  That is too bad and we
FMLers should keep that in mind.  Not everybody subscribing and perusing
the list every day is an adult and capable of digesting people's
bitterness toward each other.  I would not want to be the cause of a young
ferret enthusiast being chased off the FML from too much argument and too
little actual ferret content.
 
I've promised in my "defensive" post today not to bring up animal rights
or those issues again, as BIG is correct that they don't belong here.
That was too much of a tangent for me to go off on and it contributed to
some of the bitterness.  Knowing how it made you and your son feel, I
apologize to you both personally for that.
 
I can't promise to *never* post about the MF issue again.  As a ferret
lover, my opinion is that part of making the earth a better place to be a
ferret is keeping close tabs on companies that "manufacture" ferrets.
I've been disturbed by what I see there and I haven't been offered any
reason to change my mind or change to another company that's "worse".  But
I will be more careful about any such posts if they should happen, because
I will keep in mind that not everybody reading them is a grown-up and
unaffected by heated debate that can turn somewhat nasty.
 
Thanks for sharing this with everybody.  I hope you don't get flamed
because you do not deserve to.  You bring up a valid concern.  Understand
though that sometimes people have different opinions and ideas about what
actions will result in better lives for ferrets, and this may always be a
heated topic that spurs debate.  But yes, it does not have to be nasty,
personal, and insulting.  I hear you.
 
Best,
 
Heather W. in Massachusetts
Owned and operated by Dante, Nikita, Dusty, Beanie, Boomer, and Rocky
[Posted in FML issue 3659]