Howard Davis comments: ("Marshall Farms" -- #1305)
<A number of questionable statements have been made here recently>
 
Yes, they have.  Come on, Mr.  Davis, you *must* realize by now that not
everyone with a MF ferret wears a black hat.  Lately, every time I read
those two horrible words, "Marshall Farms," I wince, knowing that World War
III is on the way.  Alright -- your point is taken -- I own MF and am
therefore a killer of baby ferrets.  Now that we have that issue settled...
 
I'm willing to change my murderous ways, but the boycott doesn't seem very
realistic to me.  Even if you were able to post your views on the front
door of every pet store in the U.S.  and Canada, some people would still
buy MF ferrets.  Supply goes up, price goes down, and euthanasia is still
practiced by Marshall Farms because it's cheaper than alternatives.  Back
to square one.
 
Emotional appeal aside, the issue is fundamentally a financial one.  To
atone for past sins, this reformed ferret baby killer would be willing to
pay ... say ...  another $50US for each future MF ferret purchased if
assured that the extra money supported decrepit MF ferrets.  If all of us
were willing to do the same, it might be enough to induce a policy change at
you-know-where.  It's a small enough sacrifice, I reckon, though it's unfair
that the college kids and the poor would do more than their share of
sacrificing.  How would one implement such a thing?  I don't know if it's
possible.  Who decides when a particular ferret has reached its natural end?
I don't know that either.
 
I *do* know, however, that I am unwilling to compromise medical research.
Animals suffer so that we suffer less.  Agreed, there is no pleasure in that
thought, but an overactive conscience can be crippling.
[Moderator's note: Discussion of live-reasearch vs. alternative methods
are beyond the scope of the list. BIG]
 
Swampp
 
For the record: It was Stan Siatkowski, not the Crandalls, who suggested
the "finger down the gullet" anti-biting technique.  (The Crandalls helped
in other ways).
BTW -- How many emails do you think Stan got re:apathetic FMLers? ;)  Stan?
[Posted in FML issue 1307]