Well said. I (like Kelley) do not have an FeLV+ kitty anymore, but hung around because of the wise advice I’ve received. I agree that the arguments have progressively worsened to pettiness. We should choose our words with tact and with conviction. We all have a right to our opinions, but we need to realize that there is a difference between debating a subject and just being mean. Debate is good and healthy, and where I stand on this issue will not budge, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t acknowledge and try to learn from the opposition. It doesn’t mean my mind will change, but I will learn what others are thinking, feeling, so that in the future I can know best how to approach such issues in a way that will win people over to my way of thinking. I think that’s the importance of our arguing. Does this make sense?
Diane, your decision was a tough one. I certainly don’t want to attack you or anyone else, but I can’t help but ask if you ever considered the soft paws, the little plastic covers? Maybe they weren’t around at the time? I couldn’t help but bring up this alternative since we’re on the subject. Although I am saddened by the fighting going on, I also think it’s normal and cyclical. This is what happens in a family. We all have something in common here, yet we are all uniquely different, just like in a family. There’s going to be tension, misunderstanding, and things said just to be mean, to get a reaction, to inflict hurt back where hurt was inflicted. I abhor confrontation, but I think that it’s also healthy and cathartic to get all this out of our systems. We can’t be happy (or fake happy) all the time when there are so many personalities mingling here. A little fighting is healthy, but can we move on already? I miss hearing from those who are too shy, too disgusted, or too exhausted to respond to these arguments. It feels as though our list has been reduced to 5 or 6 people. I miss the rest of the voices. Melissa _____ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:33 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: list matters Sometimes saying what needs to be said isn't nice, but that doesn't make it any less important to say. You all judge some on this list for doing the exact same thing you are. If everyone would be less quick to jump on the flogging bandwagon, perhaps more constructive conversation would be possible. We have lost a very well informed and educated voice on these forums now, and thats a terrible loss. I admire and respect people with a passionate view on a subject even if I don't agree with their opinion. Sometimes the right thing to say is not the easy thing to say. She had every right to say what she did as everyone else did to sling childish insults back. One line "snips" are the trademark of a teenager, not adult discourse on an important and passionate subject. Yes, everyone is here to provide information and support. Yes, everyone has differing opinions on what that means; however, I find anyone who won't speak their truths as theybelieve them to be morally bankrupt and not worth my time. We ALL have a voice and be damned if anyone should be told not to use it. If you feel like defending claw mutilation, be my guest, but how dare anyone try to silence the opposing opinion. Yes, some words spoken may have been harsh in this debate, but those harsh words flowed freely from BOTH sides of this argument, not just one. Susan made a mistake in sending the email to the group and not an individual. I believe we've all done that at one time or another. And as for what she said in it, what's said in a private email between two people is none of anyone's business, including the people on this list. If any of you care, go back and read through the progression of the emails. They did start out much more civil, and just degraded as the conversation continued, but I can assure you one thing..you'll find just as many (if not more) people of the opinion that claw mutilation and intentional exposure to non-curable viruses is not a good situation, regardless of how well the intentions are. Like I said, I live 30 minutes from where Angel Wings used to be. I know how good intentions go. Let me also address briefly the issue of personal declawing/mixing. I just read an email from Diane R. about her decision to declaw. Look, as I have stated freely, I think declawing is horrible, but I don't think Susan or Glenda or anyone else on this list was personally attacking *individuals* that are put in tough places with tough decisions to make. If you're forced to declaw, or if you're forced to mix (I mix my two positives with my negative because they were together for a year before I found out) then that's a personal decision. Susan's and Glenda's, and yes, i'll say my, issue with that was this was a SHELTER, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and helping otherwise helpless animals, making these choices across the board. There's a big difference there and in an individual owner having to make tough decisions. It sounds like (and I'm just stating fact here, not passing judgement on the open forum) that the shelter in question declaws across the board (with the exeption of FeLV/FIV+) every time a cat comes in the shelter. Same for mixing. They mix every positive cat that comes through, regardless of which diagnosis they have. That was the concern. Not individual choices that have to be made. Diane R. was in a tough spot, and had to make a tough decision. I don't know that I would have made a different one if I were in her place. -----Original Message----- From: Kat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, Sep 26 10:12 AM Subject: Re: list matters Yes, this is their list too - but there are ways of saying things to better get your point across for consideration versus inciting a riot by throwing flames! And while I don't have a specific quote, I believe that's exactly what Rev.Martin Luther King,Jr. was trying to teach us about tolerance and how to make changes effectively. I might have joined in the discussion with my experiences, but not under the current judgemental/jump all over/boy-that's-stupid/intolerant replies that have been going on. Kat (Mew Jersey) On Wed, 26 Sep 2007 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:51:15 -0400 > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Reply-To: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: list matters > > And let us also remember, that when you say its our list, that "our" > includes Glenda and Susan as well. I believe, as Dr. Martin Luther > King, Jr. once said, “We will have to repent in this generation not > merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for > the appalling silence of the good people. I don't think anyone here > has the right to try and silence anyone else on this list. We all > have opinions, and we're all entitled to share those opinions whether > you like them or agree with them or not.  I'm relatively new to the > group, I'll admit, but you lose your fundamental credibility when you > start trying to silence certain people because you don't agree with > them. Look, I think many of us, some of whom are too shy to speak > out, are horrified at the thought of a shelter declawing all their > cats and mixing positives. So I don't think its fair to single out > Glenda and Susan. Opinionated they may be, but they have every right > to voice that opinion, just like the people who defend toe amputation. > _____ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail <http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/index.htm?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000970> !
