hee hee, ha, ha....snicker snicker. ....BWA HAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!! Alexandra, I love your posts. You make my day. BIG-keep the free speech alive. Let me say this regarding censorship of this or any other list. I only wish that the most offensive thing I ever have to hear or read is words. Once read or heard it is gone. They are words. Just words. And words, offensive to some or not pale in comparison to the reality that we all live with every day of abuse and neglect . Abuse leaves scars, mental and physical and that's if the defenseless are lucky enough to escape with their life. Abuse and neglect is something to really be offended by. Today I find myself totally frustrated in this vicious circle we are all involved in. I think it's sad when we have to start turning on each other when we are all motivated by the same cause. Where to go, what to do, who to call? Don't buy pets from lousy conditions because you are encouraging the pet trade! I agree but how can we as animal lovers just turn our backs on an animal in need? We can't. Our compassionate nature just won't allow it. I had to do this yesterday. I had to because I didn't have the money to free this ferret from the lousy conditions it was in. I am in tears today because of it and can't get her sweet face out of my head. What I could do was stand there and hold her while the piece of shit clerk that had the nerve to act surprised , cleaned the cage that was full of maggots. Not a drop of food to be found either. I was forced to stand at the counter as I purchased my crickets and look on at the baby conures (birds) huddled in a corner of a ten gallon aquarium on shit-covered paper toweling. No a/c in the store and it was loaded with flies. Hmmmmmmmm. Cant' imagine where the maggots came from!!!!!!!! I'm starting to think that the war should be on stupid people!!! So yes, I walked out fully intent on reporting them to animal control....on Monday morning. Yes, monday because there are no officials available on the weekend. That adds two more days to the sentence of the furry victim. Am I stilll trying to find a way to get the money and free her from that hell of a pet store? Your damn right I am because I can't just turn my back on a life. And if somehow I do gather the funds to do it can I go up there, complete the purchase and turn around and chew out the pet store owner? No, because I'd be tipping him off. Here's another option. Let's call PETA! They're in it for the animals! Sure they are, but imo they are just a little too extreme. They could be doing so much more good but harm is being done in the process. Did anyone hear the story where they went in to a mink farm in Salisbury MD and turned all of the caged animals loose because they don't believe in keeping animals caged? What do you think FML'rs? Harm or good? How bout all you rescues out there? How would you feel if PETA showed up on your doorstep, broke in and turned all the ferrets loose in the street? Harm or good? What has to be done is so simple, so why is it so complicated? Commercial sales of animals as pets must be stopped. What do we have to do to make this happen? Anybody? Kim at SUMS [Posted in FML issue 3858]