Well, you seemed to challenge people NOT to flame you when you ended this post. So I won't. But... I think a few words are in order. I have to say, I was a child who subsisted on mac and cheese and hot dogs when I was a kid. Would you say my mother valued her schooling more than her family? I wouldn't. She finished her degree when I was 8. Up 'till then it was all cheapy food and clothes and toys. And I wasn't unhealthy. And to be honest, I am 23 now, and broke. I am again surviving on mac and cheese and hot dogs. And my ferrets still get their Totally Ferret and new toys, etc. Do I value my life more than my ferrets? Nope. I think the point is I value their lives. Besides, I have to tell you, I turned out pretty darn good, mac and cheese and all. >Does anyone but me see a problem here??? Human Value less than Animal >Value." No, but I see a problem NOW! I'm sorry. Perhaps more exlaination would be in order on your part. We take these lovely creatures into our homes, they brighten or lives, and are completely dependent on us for their care. We OWE them the best life they can have. And they are a part of the family. An important part, in my opinion. The idea that humans have some intrinsic value that animals lack is preposterous to me. If one of your family members were sick and needed extra care, you would eat mac and cheese and hot dogs to come up with the money, yes? But if one of your animals needed care you would let them die rather than eat mac and cheese and hot dogs?? I certainly hope not, or you are one of the reasons that shelter you are bashing is needed!! If a family is starving, sick, dying because their animals are getting care, then perhaps they need to seek help from outside sources, but in this case, all that has happened is some family members need care, so others make a small sacrifice for a short time to make sure that happens. And yes, I consider shelter inhabitants members of the family until they leave the shelter. You said in another post, >Either they are so busy FLAMING others or they are posting endless drivel >about every little thing that their fuzzies might have done in the last 24 >hours?.... " Hmm. I think that in just two posts you have said some of the nastiest, meanest things I have read on the FML in recent months. Accusing a shelter operator of neglecting her own children, questioning whether she should even be running that shelter, and belittling those kind and loving people who choose to relate their fuzzy antidotes to us, telling them they are neglecting their ferrets by writing instead of playing. Any idea how many people you may have hurt or offended by these statements? Doesn't that qualify as flaming? Didn't your mother ever teach you? Melissa Barnes www.geocities.com/lostferrets [Posted in FML issue 3192]