Greetings to all fuzzers and owners. I watched a horrifying show on MSNBC the other day at work about "puppy mills". They did an investigation through Petco and some other stores about "breeders". I was appalled at the government's head "vet" guy- don't remember the guy's name- some Dr. that is so politically involved it is disgusting. The conditions at these so called "breeders" was repulsive- It broke my heart. All I could think about at the time was my little fuzzers- and God forbid that there are "ferret mills" out there too. These so called government inspectors somehow passed these "mills" and a month later all the dogs were dead? They starved to death and were left laying all over the ground. The governments response- "no comment". It upsets me to see so many people on this list "bashing" others- I joined this list to gain knowledge to help my little ones, and to meet other ferret lovers. "Why can't we all just get along?" Let's put our efforts in making this world a better place- let's "bash" the government Vet Dr. instead! If dog's are supposed to be Man's best friend and #1 pet, how can the government pass these so called puppy "breeders" on an inspection? They also throw sick puppies into a furnace alive.- What in God's name do you think some so called ferret breeders do? Does anyone know where to begin to research this? Is anyone else interested in this? I know I have personally received numerous support for my Gizmo off of this list, (She just finished her last chemo treatment and is doing good- by the way) and for my other fuzzers when needed. There are a ton of ferret lovers on here- isn't that why we're on here? So stop the bickering amongst yourselves- Remember the saying "opinions are like @**h***s, everyone's got one?" I use that one a lot at work- and consider that. So what if "Adam" doesn't like what "Eve" said and vice versa- "get over it!" There are a lot more issues to be dealt with that we can do something about. Any comments from the editor on this? Hugs and Dooks to all- Diane L. Hinck , Gizmo, Sammy, & Nipper (who also needs some prayers) http://mypage.goplay.com/dhinck/ [Moderator's note: Please note I consider myself more of a moderator than an editor -- I don't alter what people wrote but I do sometimes decide something is not appropriate to post. Anyhow, sure, a couple of comments. In a sense a list of this size is a bit of a microcosm, though on a much more manageable scale. We ARE united here, primarily for the ferrets, though many other social interactions occur as well. Countless ferrets have been aided over the years. Our dedication is not in question, at least to me. But, this is also the real world. People have strong opinions (dedicated people often do). Some have difficulty communicating (for a great many, English is not the primary language). Ways of phrasing things vary by region and culture. And, yes, sometimes someone just has a bad day! (OK, some seem to have more bad days than others, but I digress.) We just CAN'T agree on everything: just look at the pet store issue, for example. Some of us support them, some of us shun them. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, but that does not mean I don't want to hear from the entire group. I know you are saying that we should be able to tone things down a bit while still being able to offer our opinions. That's where I come in: I decide, guided partly by experience and partly by previous feedback, if a post goes too far. Now and then, posts DO get held back. But, you see, my opinion of what goes too far likely differs from yours. Some people think I'm too strict, others that I'm too lenient! So while I hear you, I don't think we can satisfy everyone, but I know our hearts are in the right place. Finally, let me offer one more example. How about a close group...say, a family. Surely most individuals in a family love and care for each other. But... ever have a horrible fight with a sibling? Ever yell at a parent? Do partners argue? Guess what though: most of learn to concentrate on the positive aspects of the relationships and accept the occasional problems! Sometimes the problems even make us stronger. I think we're like that here too. BIG] [Posted in FML issue 3090]