Amen, Roger. Well put, and let me be the first to give you a Hell Yeah!! While I think our controversy provides food for thought and there is nothing wrong with disagreement (it is healthy; heck we have daily doses of it here in my household and no one's the worse for it!), it is frequent that various arguments on this forum don't seem to know when to just breathe their last. I've bitten my knuckles and forced myself NOT to respond many times, reminding myself that no matter how hard you whack that dead horse, there's just no life left in it... The ferret community faces a lot of challenges and obstacles right now. We are struggling with the ADV threat, frustrated and challenged by the number of people who DON'T know what it is. Even at my vet's office, a tech asked me recently, "What IS this ADV thing we keep hearing about?" I've showered them with literature and as much current info as I could get my grubby little mitts on. But it is a long journey we're on with ADV education. When your vet tech at a hospital that specializes in exotics doesn't know what ADV is, what does that say about the notoriety of the disease?? My feeling (and feel free to disagree) is that those who know the facts and reality of the threat of ADV have a responsibility to get this information OUT. We also face the hoarding problem, a concern with ferrets because they seem to be too easy for people to haord. Those psychos who hoard 157 cats get reported and raided, as it's a bit hard to hide that many meowsers (or the odor). It seems like it's easier for these crazies to hoard ferrets. They're quiet, if you keep your doors and window locked the smell can be contained (although I've often speculated that Morrison's 2-br condo must have been a biohazard inside), and it also seems like it's harder to get authorities to take action. We face the dumping problem, and the fact that municipal shelters, with some exceptions, do a substandard job of caring for ferrets, particularly those in need of special care. The only alternatives are the private shelters and the miracle workers that run them and fund them. But as we see daily on the FML, these shelters are constantly in need of funds. Their cities and towns give them nothing in return for keeping the abandoned ferret populace off the streets and out of the dog pound. We face the problem of misunderstanding that can have tragic results. The people who don't pick up a stray ferret and let it run off and stay lost or, worse, attack it or kill it. The lack of public education that is hindered by things like the horrific new Verizon ad. Think the average citizen is going to pick up a stray lost ferret and help it after seeing that abomination?? It's so easy for our efforts to be sent back to square one with just ONE piece of negative publicity. So what do we do??? Do we despair and turn our attention to each other and our disagreements and pick on each other? We can...or the ferret community can bond on common issues and be a very, very powerful voice that rights some of the wrongs that one or two people can't change. If Verizon gets four letters, they are not going to be worried. If they receive four thousand letters, they will realize they made an enormo boo-boo. I love ferret people. We are some of the most passionate people when it comes to our pets because they as a species need so much protection from misunderstanding and ignorance, and just by virtue of loving these critters, so many people are willing to give of their time and energy and make a difference for ferrets. So many people answer the call to help these little guys. So many ferret owners are there for eachother when the tragedies and losses happen, because non-ferret owners can't understand what it feels like to lose these fuzzy moppets. Disagree. Dissent. Argue. But do not spew, rage, and insult. Those could be the guidelines for a forum that expresses differences of opinion but remains a community. As we approach the one-year anniversary of 9/11, remember that when there is no room for understanding, for accepting differences of opinion with respect, when there is no tolerance, buildings fall down and people cry. Hug and kiss each of your fuzzies today, right behind the ears where the fur is the softest. Look into their soft eyes and remember they are the reason you are here, that you care this much, and take a page out of their book. The ferrets that wrestle and squeal and nip each other this afternoon will be snuggled up tightly together tonight, breathing in unison, sharing warmth and a comfy hammock in freindship, despite the battles that may have raged over a squeaky toy or an extra treat... -Heather W. in Massachusetts "I'm not a mediator, I just play one at work..." [Posted in FML issue 3871]