i am sending this to not just the fml..but to Tom and Mike in their personal e-mails, too. >From: MICHAEL SHOEMAKER <[log in to unmask]> > >I just have to respond to this topic. I am in complete shock about >this post from the ferret owner who is afraid his ferrets caught aids. >Ignorance of a subjectis no ex cuse for some of the presumptions that >were made.... i am sorry you took this attitude, mike...i hope it is just me being overly sensitive and misunderstanding your attitude... i hope you have not hurt Tom... Tom sounded like he was just being concerned for his ferrets and family... there ARE illnesses that can be transferred from human to ferret to human... if Tom did not know if HIV/AIDS was one of them, where better to ask than our diverse, mostly knowledgeable, group? "I" have friends who are gay...and who have AIDS..."I" did not know the answer to this before it was brought up here a few years ago... rather than making him feel stupid and as if he were attacking gays...[that is how your post came across to me]...why couldn't you have just told him that it is not possible..and pointed him in the direction of some educational sites to learn more...[which you DID do...but the rest of your attitude was unacceptable to me]... -------- RE: >>Here is the thing I just found out see is that this neighbor is >>actually gay and has a male lover that frequently visits. >I am trying to see how any of that is your business???? it IS his business if he is concerned there may be a health risk to him and his family...NOT for the others' lifestyle...but for whether it is safe for his family to allow his ferrets to go over there... and this statement led into what his concern was...it was not right to take it out of context like that...and make it seem 'more' than it was... again...i feel Tom asked a good question...one many people may not have known the answer to... before i had a dear friend that has AIDS...i never bothered to look into it at all...i was ignorant...it did not have anything to do with me... that is how people are...they do not know everything about everything... they learn as they need or want to...now...if i have a question...i ask... ...just as Tom did... my 2 cents... kat ===== KITY=^..^=KAT's Fuzzy Frenzy [+15](-14)... See how you can HELP SHELTERS... http://ferretlover97.terrabox.com RAFFLE FOR JEAN... http://ferretlover97.terrabox.com/shelterhelp-Jean.html HELP JEAN, Ferrets Unlimited, PAGE... http://www.kwflatbed.com/jean/jean.html ..... with links to lots of ebays and raffles to help Jean!!! When you care about others....when you reach out to others.... ...when you give of yourself to others...YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! [Posted in FML issue 4405]