Leandrae said:
Is it that hard to accept that someone's opinion may differ from your own on the value of certain lifeforms? To some people, a pet snake is just a snake and therefore any babies of the snake are simply snakes, BFD. That same person may feel that their pet dog is not just a dog, it's a companion and family member, therefore any puppies would be potential companions and family members as well. That's all fine for them, but understand that some people just MIGHT actually feel their snake is a companion as well. Is it wrong for either of them to feel as they do? No. Why should it be ok to anthropomorphize a dog, but not a snake? That seems a bit hypocritical to me.
It is not hard for me to accept differing opinions. But it IS difficult for me to refrain from posting in response to hypocrisy, particularly when that hypocrisy is framed within an attack on what I consider to be a more rational opinion. I didn't think that the argument here was about anthropomophism. When did
I ever write that it's ok to anthropomorphize a dog but not a snake? You built a straw-man argument for me, and then tore it down. But for the record, I'm not much into anthropomorphizing. My dog is a better companion animal than any snake, but it's not a person. Anthropomorphizing either animal is kind of silly to me, but not nearly as silly as anthropomorphizing a snake zygote.
But back on topic... If one poster is going to confront another for being insensitive about dealing with barely-developed snake embryos while feeding their snakes fully-formed and post-natal prey items of all ages, I'm going to call them on it.
I've already said it was fine to suggest that disposal be an option, my beef was with the way it was said.
And I didn't see a problem with the way it was worded. Difference of opinion. I do respect yours, but this is an open discussion forum. If a poster is so sensiitive that they can't handle straight talk, maybe this isn't the right place for them.
Let's put it this way:
Lets say you have a dog that is very sick and dying so you take it to the vet. If that vet were to say, "Well, he's gonna kick the bucket any day now, but eh, it's just a dog. I'll just toss him in the dumpster out back right now and save ourselves the trouble of watching him die." I would guess that most people would high tail it right out of there with their dog and never go back. So you go to another vet who says, "Your dog is very sick and unfortunately there isn't anything we can do for him. As hard as it is, it might be best to euthanize him so that he is no longer suffering." Now, the basic intent of both vets is the same however the second vet makes it much easier to accept the inevitable outcome with a more sensitive response.
Sorry, but that's a terrible analogy. You're comparing a companion animal to a small cluster of undifferentiated cells (if they're even fertilized). If the o.p. is so darned caring, they should have returned home a.s.a.p. before the health of the embryos was jeopardized by the poor conditions they've been subjected to.
This is a large community with many differences in opinion. Roy, your opinion that snakes are just snakes is completely valid. My opinion that snakes are pets is just as valid. You may not agree with my opinion nor I yours, but that is the beauty of opinions. If we all agreed on everything all the time, the world would be a very boring place.
-Janel
What does that even mean: "snakes are just snakes"? I don't remember writing that. When did I ever write that snakes can't be pets? To clarify, an undifferentiated cluster of cells is not a snake, it's not a dog, it's not a pet, and it's not a companion.
