PetCo is laughing at us... SO WHAT!!! Alexandra I appreciate your comments about what I posted... and I find it very interesting how you added your value judgements to each statement that you presented. Your sidebar comments were neither quotes nor paraphrases.. they were your interpretations of what you read. You have assumed that there was hate, cyber-punching and annomosity delivered with each of those statements. You have further assumed that the effort was made for some personal domination. What I just said are facts based on actual statements that you made. I have found that how people take things is a reflection of who THEY are. And I wonder who else, how many else are out there assuming... You have taken the discussion as mean, hateful and domineering. Is that who you are? You will probaby say no to that, but can you see how it's the same thing as what you just did to us. We who have asked others not to gripe us out about what we choose to discuss, and then asked them if they really care about the plight of these animals and if they do to please join us and not attack us or our topic of choice. OH and just for clarification -- to express ones thoughts and opinions concering facts and incidents of a thing IS debate. It is a position of affirmative or negative. That position is then defended with facts and opinions and assumptions and incidents... not all pertain directly to a postion, some are dead on while others are a far reach, and still others are fully interpretation. Name calling and finger pointing I agree is wrong - but it too has been a part of debate for centuries. BTW I don't believe a post had name calling.. did I miss it - in my selfless frenzy... Getting the facts and definitions straight are best for avoiding misconstruing of those facts or the situation pertaining to those facts. However, to get back to and to address your comments on what I posted -- yes YOU ATTACKED ME personally. I wrote the words you used and you do know that. I'm not sure why you decided to let us know that your take on the discussion is the only right one and the rest of us are ... what? insensitive beasts only looking for a fight? To engage an enemy no matter how maglinant or benign it is helpful to understand that there really is an enemy... and what "crimes" the enemy committed to make 'him' an enemy. To say hate PetCO or fight PetCo for the sake of the ferrets is vague. Now "Why should I?" would be the non-reactive answer to that. But, "fight PetCo for being instrumental in the freezing death", or shipping death, or instore lack of vet care for many ferrets here and there and there too is helpful for knowing just what your enemy did to make him and enemy. And it helps to know just what needs to be done to make him no longer an enemy. Now maybe the real problem here is that people who have heard it before don't like hearing it again in spite of new people coming on board all the time; each of them who need to hear it. Get my drift? Intolerance to the new guy. I'm just wondering here.. are you suggesting that because one is an emphatic speaker that that necessarily makes the speaker's conversations beligerant attempts, of any kind, for superiority? Since I have left you with a misconception and belief that the previous postings are, "people throwing verbal roundhouse punches at one another in the mistaken belief that whoever can be the most strident, belittling, and offensve must be the one who loves animals the most", let me be direct, to the point, blunt and succinct this time. What I am saying is 1) Please don't tell me what I can talk about 2) PLEASE help with the effort to make existance clean, safe, non-terrorizing, non-torture filled, and healthy for ferrets and 3) Demand that purveyors of ferret-flesh meet some minimum requirement of ensuring the living creatures they sell go to a home knowledgable as to what the animals need to survive free of torture, abuse or neglect at least by some minimum standard, 4) BOYCOTT in an orderly manner each national establishment as an organized group. helter-skelter won't get it done. And finally yes I did mean to say and I will say again - 5) if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. This is not new... it should not be offensive, this is like a bit in a computer.. it is either on or off, positive or negative, right or wrong, yes or no, and it has been a universal position of fact for gee --- ever. And I care more about people understanding the magnitide of the problem and getting on board to fix the problem, than I do whether anyone, anywhere gets a laugh out of this... so laugh PetCo or anyone... but if those of us who already know the value of keeping a light shinning brightly on a problem stand firm and others however slowly join the movement then LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE... we will prevail.. the reward?... well it's not personal gain, but the intangible satisfaction that we helped stop suffering even if in just a tiny piece of this world. Thanks for your opinion and judgement of me. I look forward to more if only you'll help change the situation and laws in this country. VICKI [Posted in FML issue 4828]