I'm sorry if I offended you Alicia, but the statements had to be made. Being well respected in the ferret community, I FEEL you should set an example. Respond calmly, professionally and in the right tone. Ferrets (we as their people also) need to be stood up for but in a manner that helps not hurts. I was always told to accept an apology and not to question it's authenticity. Keeping the anger alive will in retrospect hurt the ferrets and make us in the ferret community look like nothing more than unforgiving morons. You are respected because of what you do to help the plight of the ferrets be it legislation, rescues, etc., but by reacting in such a manner as to berating Stillers efforts by saying basically that he didn't mean it is pure childish. You have not a clue whether he meant it or not. I don't question his sincereness, only that he understand what harm he may or has caused. It's not my place or your to question his motives. Matter of fact, I sent him a thank you note. Im sorry, but again, this is getting out of hand. Please don't pretend that I know nothing and you know more than I, that's uncalled for and unfair. Although maybe just maybe I haven't had ferrets as long, I have done and helped with rescues and help shelters in more ways than just financially. I tend to look at things such as this as a reason for you, another respected shelter mom or someone else to put ferrets in a positive light. Go on those shows, animal planet whatever and show people about ferrets, not take what a few have said and get so riled up you do more harm than good. Sending nasty letters at this point does NOT accomplish anything except make us look bad. I can't believe you can't see that. If I remember correctly Jeanne Carley has also made this statement. Basically please send letter but be nice otherwise you accomplish nothing except making us look foolish, more or less. I don't question all you have done for ferrets over the years, not at all which is why this downright overzealous anger (even after someone apologized) is throwing me for a loop, however you say "we" the forgiving public are uneducated in what this has or might do to the plight of ferrets everywhere? There is a smart, dignified and more responsible way to go about this. You can be angry, you can be mad as hell, you can be offended by some or all of his remarks but you MUST not wear your heart on your sleeve such as to make a humongeous mistake as encouraging the people of the ferret community to act out in anger. Yes, you have done a lot and for that you are respected but carry this out in anger and with hostility and you lose that respect. Whether you care or not, well that's up to you. I still feel you should set an example that we all should follow and that's by putting our beloved ferrets in front of your anger by using what has happened in a positive way with tact, responsibility, politeness and forgiveness. If you speak and react in anger you are only hurting our causes regardless. Mr. Stiller has made restitution by apologizing and explaining that the "bite" was not as horrible as he (jokingly or not) made it sound. That he neither is for or against the Legalization efforts in Ca and that fact the ferret keepers are scarier then the ferrets themselves (hell, yes we are). I laughed at that one. Yes, I can laugh at it because the way people are overreacting makes it laughable and true. So, go on fight for your cause, our cause Alicia but please if you are speaking for the mass majority of us ferret loving people please, please do so with tact so as not to make some us look as though we cannot act without anger and resentment. Oh yes, I know nothing and don't have a clue and I'm uneducated, Should I now be offended? Im not, not because I shouldn't be offended, but because I am trying to stick to what matters here, not your anger but what your anger is producing (be it enticing people to write rude and nasty letters )and what that anger dirrected at the wrong people in the wrong form can do to harm everyones efforts. Sincerely Leanne B [Posted in FML issue 4398]