Saturday, September 06, 2008
It's simply not enough....
... to only consume the arsenic-laced kool-aid rhetoric you believe in.
I don't like conflict. I've been accused of being too nice. Of not having a strong opinion. Of not standing up for myself. But I'm at the point of primal scream.
I do have strong opinions. And I feel I'm an educated person. I read. I investigate. I listen - to BOTH sides even. I don't voice my opinion much, though. When I do, I sometimes suprise people. You probably wonder where I'm going with this. You know. Its 2 months to Nov 4. Its frikkin' politics that has me in a lather.
I'm almost 35 years old. I'm no longer an idealistic, naive 21 year old. I have formed some firm opinions and I'm not interested in changing them, for the most part. They aren't all that controversial or aborrhent. I guess some are left-leaning (reproductive rights, gay rights), others are somewhat right-leaning (taxes). I'm probably 50% in agreement with my liberal-kook friends/family/neighbors and about 50% in agreement with my conservative-nutjob friends/family (99% of my neighbors would fall in the liberal-kook category).
Glass is half full for me in both camps, right? Wrong. In the past week I have received a wrath of sh!t from all sides. Some of it has been downright disrespectful. Unbelievable. To quote Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, these people "...have gone totally outer limits."
When I was 13 I formed an opinion - you might call it a personal credo - that I later learned is basically the Libertarian philosophy. With an emphasis on personal responsibility, I firmly believe that my rights end where your's begin and vice versa. For this reason (not to mention the fundamental point that we live in a FREE COUNTRY), I respect everyone else's right to believe that they want even if I think its an apesh!t way of thinking. I'm not going to vengefully argue with adults who have clearly formed solid personal opinions. And I ask for the same respect in return.
But I'm not getting it. I've had to resort to declaring a 10 foot zone of "no politics" around myself. Which of course I'm violating with this very blog rant. I'm all for friendly, spirited discourse about controversial topics. But in otherwise friendly conversations, I've been accused of having "appalling" beliefs, being ignorant, falling prey to agitprop and not having a good understanding of the way things are because I'm not "well traveled" or "educated beyond a liberal arts degree."
Well excuse the eff out of me!
To all my well meaning (but in my eyes SANCTIMONIOUS) liberal-kook and conservative-nutjob friends, family, and acquaintances... this is fair warning... I have taken the stance that politics are personal. I'm not going to ask you about your sex life, your colon health or your social security number and I'm not gonna tell you about mine. Let's keep it the same way with politics.
Until November 4th, if you violate this rule, I'm going to punch you in the head.
I don't like conflict. I've been accused of being too nice. Of not having a strong opinion. Of not standing up for myself. But I'm at the point of primal scream.
I do have strong opinions. And I feel I'm an educated person. I read. I investigate. I listen - to BOTH sides even. I don't voice my opinion much, though. When I do, I sometimes suprise people. You probably wonder where I'm going with this. You know. Its 2 months to Nov 4. Its frikkin' politics that has me in a lather.
I'm almost 35 years old. I'm no longer an idealistic, naive 21 year old. I have formed some firm opinions and I'm not interested in changing them, for the most part. They aren't all that controversial or aborrhent. I guess some are left-leaning (reproductive rights, gay rights), others are somewhat right-leaning (taxes). I'm probably 50% in agreement with my liberal-kook friends/family/neighbors and about 50% in agreement with my conservative-nutjob friends/family (99% of my neighbors would fall in the liberal-kook category).
Glass is half full for me in both camps, right? Wrong. In the past week I have received a wrath of sh!t from all sides. Some of it has been downright disrespectful. Unbelievable. To quote Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, these people "...have gone totally outer limits."
When I was 13 I formed an opinion - you might call it a personal credo - that I later learned is basically the Libertarian philosophy. With an emphasis on personal responsibility, I firmly believe that my rights end where your's begin and vice versa. For this reason (not to mention the fundamental point that we live in a FREE COUNTRY), I respect everyone else's right to believe that they want even if I think its an apesh!t way of thinking. I'm not going to vengefully argue with adults who have clearly formed solid personal opinions. And I ask for the same respect in return.
But I'm not getting it. I've had to resort to declaring a 10 foot zone of "no politics" around myself. Which of course I'm violating with this very blog rant. I'm all for friendly, spirited discourse about controversial topics. But in otherwise friendly conversations, I've been accused of having "appalling" beliefs, being ignorant, falling prey to agitprop and not having a good understanding of the way things are because I'm not "well traveled" or "educated beyond a liberal arts degree."
Well excuse the eff out of me!
To all my well meaning (but in my eyes SANCTIMONIOUS) liberal-kook and conservative-nutjob friends, family, and acquaintances... this is fair warning... I have taken the stance that politics are personal. I'm not going to ask you about your sex life, your colon health or your social security number and I'm not gonna tell you about mine. Let's keep it the same way with politics.
Until November 4th, if you violate this rule, I'm going to punch you in the head.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Am I the only one who takes issue with this?
I remember the news coverage earlier this year about the two African American football coaches taking teams to the Superbowl. I didn't give it more than cursory attention... not because I don't care about the achievements of hard working minorities but because I simply don't give a crap about football.
Alas football season is encroaching again and even though I don't watch it, ESPN seems to play endlessly on the gigantor television my other half bought himself during March Madness.
Tonight, mid-knit, I caught one of the announcers from the Colts/Saints game talking about Tony Dungy (the coach for the Indy Colts who won SB XLI). Apparently his daughter recently graduated from college and some of her professors likened Dungy's Superbowl success to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great civil rights leaders....
Excuse me???? WTF? By no means do I mean to diminish the accomplishments of this man but ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How on earth can someone reasonably compare the success of a leader in sports (which, come on people, is ENTERTAINMENT) to people like MLK and other civil rights leaders? People who risked their lives to change
the future of millions of people??
Let's see... Civil Rights Act of 1964... Beating the Chicago Bears 29 - 17... Oh, OK, yeah... I totally see how they are the same. [uh, that was sarcasm, btw.]
Alas football season is encroaching again and even though I don't watch it, ESPN seems to play endlessly on the gigantor television my other half bought himself during March Madness.
Tonight, mid-knit, I caught one of the announcers from the Colts/Saints game talking about Tony Dungy (the coach for the Indy Colts who won SB XLI). Apparently his daughter recently graduated from college and some of her professors likened Dungy's Superbowl success to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other great civil rights leaders....
Excuse me???? WTF? By no means do I mean to diminish the accomplishments of this man but ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How on earth can someone reasonably compare the success of a leader in sports (which, come on people, is ENTERTAINMENT) to people like MLK and other civil rights leaders? People who risked their lives to change
the future of millions of people??
Let's see... Civil Rights Act of 1964... Beating the Chicago Bears 29 - 17... Oh, OK, yeah... I totally see how they are the same. [uh, that was sarcasm, btw.]
Labels: rant
Monday, May 07, 2007
Just my lame two cents.
This is what you are. You know who you are. You think you're too cool for school. Don't deny it.
Ok enough already. I'm over it. Or else I will be eventually.
Don't know what I'm talking about? It's not about you, so don't worry about it.
Ok enough already. I'm over it. Or else I will be eventually.
Don't know what I'm talking about? It's not about you, so don't worry about it.
Labels: rant
Friday, April 27, 2007
Tiny little rant and then the rest is GOOD!
Ok, I know I complain like a crazy person here but the thing is, I started this blog originally so I could just write and get things off my mind. Then I started posting pix for the family and then all the knitting and swapping stuff... I have a "craft only" blog but I have been way too lazy to wade through all the back end file stuff on my server to get it going. One day, I promise!
Anyway, the tiny little rant... I think everyone will agree with this one. So, over the weekend I ordered a few things from KnitPicks - the Victorian Lace Today book, The Magic Loop book for my SP10 secret pal and some white merino yarn (for Kool-aid dyeing!). I had expected it to show up by yesterday but it didn't. This morning I went to Connor's school for the 4th grade Wax Museum/Biography Project (stay tuned for those pictures - it was PRICELESS). I was only gone for about an hour or so.
Upon my return, there was a box sitting on my front stoop. Now, it had been misty today but not enough to even need an umbrella. However, it poured last night. The box was so soaking wet that it fell apart when I picked it up. I know that it didn't get that wet sitting outside for an hour this morning. My guess is that my crackhead mailman delivered it to someone else yesterday where it sat in the rain all night and then either he or the wrong recipient dumped it at my house while I was gone.
Needless to say I am so furious. The yarn was luckily wrapped in plastic and only one skein got wet - I think it will dry ok. The lace book is a little ripply on the edge but I guess I can deal with that. I know KnitPicks would probably replace all the stuff but honestly, I hate having to go through all the hassle. I have complained to the post office about this kind of stuff repeatedly and it has only gotten worse. Honestly, I'm somewhat afraid of my mailman - he definitely strikes me as the type to go postal. Ok, rant over... on to the good stuff.
So this week has been really good. Here's how it shakes down:
Anyway, the tiny little rant... I think everyone will agree with this one. So, over the weekend I ordered a few things from KnitPicks - the Victorian Lace Today book, The Magic Loop book for my SP10 secret pal and some white merino yarn (for Kool-aid dyeing!). I had expected it to show up by yesterday but it didn't. This morning I went to Connor's school for the 4th grade Wax Museum/Biography Project (stay tuned for those pictures - it was PRICELESS). I was only gone for about an hour or so.
Upon my return, there was a box sitting on my front stoop. Now, it had been misty today but not enough to even need an umbrella. However, it poured last night. The box was so soaking wet that it fell apart when I picked it up. I know that it didn't get that wet sitting outside for an hour this morning. My guess is that my crackhead mailman delivered it to someone else yesterday where it sat in the rain all night and then either he or the wrong recipient dumped it at my house while I was gone.
Needless to say I am so furious. The yarn was luckily wrapped in plastic and only one skein got wet - I think it will dry ok. The lace book is a little ripply on the edge but I guess I can deal with that. I know KnitPicks would probably replace all the stuff but honestly, I hate having to go through all the hassle. I have complained to the post office about this kind of stuff repeatedly and it has only gotten worse. Honestly, I'm somewhat afraid of my mailman - he definitely strikes me as the type to go postal. Ok, rant over... on to the good stuff.
So this week has been really good. Here's how it shakes down:
- I got a bunch of consulting work accomplished this week. Such a good feeling! I still have a few things to do today (although they will probably get pushed off to Monday because I'm waiting on other ppl).
- Connor's two big school projects (science fair and biography project) are DONE. Phew. School projects are hard for parents!
- I started... and am about halfway through (!!!)... a lace scarf! This is the Branching Out scarf (Knitty Spring '05, I think) that I tried to start awhile ago and kept getting frustrated with. Well, I put my mind to it and muscled through the first few repeats and now I'm on a roll. That's not to say that I haven't tinked about every other row but I'm still very proud of myself. :o) Word to the wise, don't watch engaging TV while trying to knit lace - the yarn-overs will suffer. I will try to post pix today - I'm knitting it in the handpainted 50/50 silk/merino that I got at Holly Spring Homespun a few weeks ago. The colorway is "Poodle Skirt" - its bubblegum pink with purple bits in it. Yay!
- I got a new camera! Its a 7 MP Canon Powershot Elph. Its so tiny and cute. My old Nikon Coolpix is still a great camera but its only 3 MP and the shutter speed is so slow and it has no ISO range... I've had it forever and it was time for an upgrade.
- I jogged... for a mile... without stopping. Ok... this one has sort of been a big secret. A few people know I have been doing this running thing but I have been loathe to post anything about it because I've been afraid of jinxing it. I started this running program for wimpy, lame couch potatoes about 2 months ago. I haven't been entirely consistent but I've honestly been trying and I can definitely see and feel that I'm making a tiny bit of progress. I'm still very wimpy and lame but a little less so than I was 2 months ago! :o)
- I'm headed to VA this weekend to take a knitting class with my momma... it's a Melissa Leapman class - Knitting on the Edge. Not entirely sure what to expect but I think its about trim/edging/borders/etc. The swatches I had to knit in preparation included some bobbles and some interesting looking ribbing.
- I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA IN 4 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! Long time readers (ok, pretty much just my mom fits in that category I guess -lol!) know that my friend Isabel moved back to CA in October. I've missed her so much and we've been planning for me to come out there for a little visit for months now. Well, time flies and next week is the week! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. There will of course be lots of pix to post and crazy stories to tell when we get together. We are both magnets for drama and madness (or maybe we ARE the drama and madness).
Labels: good things, knitting, rant
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The English language is in a sad, sad state.
I know I'm a huge grammar snob. I just can't help it. I'm a detail person. Poor grammar and spelling makes people look and sound ignorant (even if they aren't).
Why am I ranting about this today? Well, for one, I haven't complained about anything in a good 18 hours and that's simply unacceptable (haha! don't you love it when I'm self deprecating?).
Plus this was featured in today's WikiHow. It's truly sad that there is a Wiki written about the proper use of THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE. As if 99.9% of the American population didn't learn this stuff by 4th grade.
I can certainly understand someone who isn't a native English speaker/reader having trouble sorting this out. But really, come on, the average American has no excuse. And... um... I don't know... (yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm being totally cynical and bitchy here)... maybe if you know how to READ, you might figure this stuff out regardless of whether you remember Houghton Mifflin grammar exercises??
Why am I ranting about this today? Well, for one, I haven't complained about anything in a good 18 hours and that's simply unacceptable (haha! don't you love it when I'm self deprecating?).
Plus this was featured in today's WikiHow. It's truly sad that there is a Wiki written about the proper use of THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE. As if 99.9% of the American population didn't learn this stuff by 4th grade.
I can certainly understand someone who isn't a native English speaker/reader having trouble sorting this out. But really, come on, the average American has no excuse. And... um... I don't know... (yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm being totally cynical and bitchy here)... maybe if you know how to READ, you might figure this stuff out regardless of whether you remember Houghton Mifflin grammar exercises??
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I know I promised but.....
So I know I promised no more rants today (or this week) but I just have one more thing to note.
First let me say that I'm not defending the actions of the University and the Blacksburg and VA police. I don't think anyone who was not there can appropriately or fairly make judgements about their actions. I'm sure there is going to be a lengthy investigation and as someone who has merely viewed media coverage I have no right to defend or criticize.
What I can say however is that I HATE ROSIE O'DONNELL. [Excuse my language, mom] SHE FUCKING SUCKS. I wish she would keep her big idiot blabbery mouth shut. I don't make a habit of watching The View but I had left the TV on WBAL while I was doing some work @ the computer and I caught the first few minutes of the show today.
OF COURSE, because they can't just sympathize with the vicitims and comment on the senselessness and tragedy of it all, they have to start analyzing and criticizing. And they had to comment on how the students should have been notified.
And so, this is what comes out of Rosie's big, stupid mouth... "Why didn't they just pull the fire alarm? They should have just pulled the fire alarm. That way everyone would have known something was wrong!"
OK. So let me get this straight. Hindsight being 20/20, we now know there was a person with heavy artillery roaming the campus. So the campus security should have PULLED THE FIRE ALARM sending everyone out into the public areas of the university, exposing thousands of students to an unknown assailant with frikking assault weapons?????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Clearly Rosie has never attended an American University where they are total nazi's about public safety. If you live in a dorm and there is a fire alarm, you report to a very open, public area (usually at 3 am, when its 12 degrees, wearing your rattiest PJ's, the night before a huge exam). Fire alarms are for getting away from FIRES. Perhaps she has never heard about Charles Whitman... 1966... University of TX... shot and killed his classmates from a CLOCK TOWER. Think about the ramifictions of that situation if someone has thought to pull a fire alarm to alert those students? Think he might have had a bigger crowd to pick from?
I know I need to relax about all this. But seriously, a word to the media and all the talk show talking heads.... if you don't know what the hell you are talking about or if you only THINK (FYI - there is a difference between people who know what they are talking about and know-it-alls) you are contributing something worthwhile, do the rest of us a huge favor and KEEP YOUR F'ING MOUTH SHUT.
Rant over. Really. I promise.
First let me say that I'm not defending the actions of the University and the Blacksburg and VA police. I don't think anyone who was not there can appropriately or fairly make judgements about their actions. I'm sure there is going to be a lengthy investigation and as someone who has merely viewed media coverage I have no right to defend or criticize.
What I can say however is that I HATE ROSIE O'DONNELL. [Excuse my language, mom] SHE FUCKING SUCKS. I wish she would keep her big idiot blabbery mouth shut. I don't make a habit of watching The View but I had left the TV on WBAL while I was doing some work @ the computer and I caught the first few minutes of the show today.
OF COURSE, because they can't just sympathize with the vicitims and comment on the senselessness and tragedy of it all, they have to start analyzing and criticizing. And they had to comment on how the students should have been notified.
And so, this is what comes out of Rosie's big, stupid mouth... "Why didn't they just pull the fire alarm? They should have just pulled the fire alarm. That way everyone would have known something was wrong!"
OK. So let me get this straight. Hindsight being 20/20, we now know there was a person with heavy artillery roaming the campus. So the campus security should have PULLED THE FIRE ALARM sending everyone out into the public areas of the university, exposing thousands of students to an unknown assailant with frikking assault weapons?????? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Clearly Rosie has never attended an American University where they are total nazi's about public safety. If you live in a dorm and there is a fire alarm, you report to a very open, public area (usually at 3 am, when its 12 degrees, wearing your rattiest PJ's, the night before a huge exam). Fire alarms are for getting away from FIRES. Perhaps she has never heard about Charles Whitman... 1966... University of TX... shot and killed his classmates from a CLOCK TOWER. Think about the ramifictions of that situation if someone has thought to pull a fire alarm to alert those students? Think he might have had a bigger crowd to pick from?
I know I need to relax about all this. But seriously, a word to the media and all the talk show talking heads.... if you don't know what the hell you are talking about or if you only THINK (FYI - there is a difference between people who know what they are talking about and know-it-alls) you are contributing something worthwhile, do the rest of us a huge favor and KEEP YOUR F'ING MOUTH SHUT.
Rant over. Really. I promise.
Labels: big time rant, rant
The tragedy @ Tech
I've been watching the news footage of the shootings at Virginia Tech for the past 24 hours.
As sick as I am about something like that happening in my home state (my sister-in-law is also an alum of VT and my husband attended Roanoke College nearby) ... I'm nauseated by the press coverage.
I can't even imagine the media circus that has descended upon Blacksburg. Of course the media is pointing fingers about the police not locking down the campus after the 1st shooting and notifying the students, yadayada.
How about the question of: How does a 23 year old man decide to shoot 30+ people on a snowy spring morning? Mental illness, sociopathic behavior... all that aside. How does society fail a person so much that they do something so horrific like this?
I'm sure I'm opening a can of worms by mentioning it but Virginia's fairly liberal gun ownership laws don't help. Some facts to help you out... Is there a waiting period on gun sales in VA? NO. Is a license or permit required to buy a handgun? NO. Are there limitations on assualt weapons and magazines? NO. Are background checks required at gun shows? NO. Are there limitations on junk handguns (Saturday Nite Specials)? NO. May cities enact laws stronger than the state's? NO.
Growing up in the redneck round-up, I had to take gun/hunter safety as part of 7th grade health class (I beleive it was the marking period before hygiene... we didn't get sex ed until 10th grade). And I also grew up hearing the constant reminder: "We don't need stricter gun laws! The criminals will always have guns! If they restrict gun sales, then private citizens can't protect themselves!" or how about "Guns don't kill people! People kill people!"
It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and killed in gun accidents in the home than there are good samaritan citizens protecting themselves from the bad guys. I worked at a Walmart in college where several customers bought rifles/shotguns and proceeded to kill themselves shortly thereafter.... one of them in the woods right behind the store. Nope, guns aren't killing people. They're killing themselves in record numbers.
Sure, maybe people kill people but the access and ability to make rash decisions with no checks and balances also kills people. I'm not all that liberal. In fact, I'm very libertarian with much of my ideals. I really and truly don't believe in the government interfering with my private life. I firmly adhere to the idea that people should be self policing and should have the right to behave any way they please as long as it doesn't step on the rights of others. But I'm also not an anarchist and I don't think the right to bear arms should be a fundamental right.
As sick as I am about something like that happening in my home state (my sister-in-law is also an alum of VT and my husband attended Roanoke College nearby) ... I'm nauseated by the press coverage.
I can't even imagine the media circus that has descended upon Blacksburg. Of course the media is pointing fingers about the police not locking down the campus after the 1st shooting and notifying the students, yadayada.
How about the question of: How does a 23 year old man decide to shoot 30+ people on a snowy spring morning? Mental illness, sociopathic behavior... all that aside. How does society fail a person so much that they do something so horrific like this?
I'm sure I'm opening a can of worms by mentioning it but Virginia's fairly liberal gun ownership laws don't help. Some facts to help you out... Is there a waiting period on gun sales in VA? NO. Is a license or permit required to buy a handgun? NO. Are there limitations on assualt weapons and magazines? NO. Are background checks required at gun shows? NO. Are there limitations on junk handguns (Saturday Nite Specials)? NO. May cities enact laws stronger than the state's? NO.
Growing up in the redneck round-up, I had to take gun/hunter safety as part of 7th grade health class (I beleive it was the marking period before hygiene... we didn't get sex ed until 10th grade). And I also grew up hearing the constant reminder: "We don't need stricter gun laws! The criminals will always have guns! If they restrict gun sales, then private citizens can't protect themselves!" or how about "Guns don't kill people! People kill people!"
It is a statistical fact that more people are injured and killed in gun accidents in the home than there are good samaritan citizens protecting themselves from the bad guys. I worked at a Walmart in college where several customers bought rifles/shotguns and proceeded to kill themselves shortly thereafter.... one of them in the woods right behind the store. Nope, guns aren't killing people. They're killing themselves in record numbers.
Sure, maybe people kill people but the access and ability to make rash decisions with no checks and balances also kills people. I'm not all that liberal. In fact, I'm very libertarian with much of my ideals. I really and truly don't believe in the government interfering with my private life. I firmly adhere to the idea that people should be self policing and should have the right to behave any way they please as long as it doesn't step on the rights of others. But I'm also not an anarchist and I don't think the right to bear arms should be a fundamental right.
Labels: rant
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Spay and Neuter Your Pets....
... or I'll find you and kick your ass.
Last Tuesday, a woman showed up at my neighbor's door with 4 kittens she found in an urn at the antique store on our block. While I suppose the mama cat might have dropped them in there, we feel it is highly unlikely and we never could find an adult cat anywhere. They were all clearly in "indoor" condition - there was no way a stray mama cat had been raising these guys outdoors.
The babies were so tiny - we figured approximately 2-weeks old (not just cute and furry but literally infants) - so my neighbor and I had a momentary lapse of reason and took 2 of them. Reality set in about 10 minutes after the stranger left with the other 2. What is it about any infant that will make your womb tingle and your ability to make rational decisions impossible??
We unfortunately discovered that none of the animals rights places would assist us - the song and dance is that it's illegal for them to take orphaned cats under 7 weeks old. We were told "nope, you're just gonna have to bottle feed them and then we can take them when they're old enough." (as if I'd give up an animal after hand raising it for a couple of months!) While I can understand a non-profit's hand being tied by animal control laws, I also seriously question laws and policies that would leave an endangered domestic animal in the hands of someone who doesn't have the resources or knowledge to properly care for it.
When reason set in, we realized these little guys had a very slim chance of survival, even if we could keep up with their care schedule. I kept the little girl and my neighbor kept the little boy overnight... after the 2 am and 6 am feedings we both knew we were unfit cat mama's (not to mention the stark realization that caring for any kind of infant has not been in either of our plans since we made it over the infancy hump with our human children).
Luckily Rob has contacts in the animal world (remember the squirrel babies weekend in 2004?) and he helped track down a rescue organization that specializes in orphaned kittens. I sadly handed them over at the vet's office they operate out of the following morning. Even more sad is the fact that its "kitten season" and the woman who runs the organization, The House of Hugs and Kisses, is getting ready for many more to come her way.
Kittens and puppies are cute. But there is absolutely no excuse for having a pet and not getting it spayed or neutered. Shelters are overrun with animals that are make their way into the world through irresponsibility, negligence and indifference. Spaying and neutering are cheap and if you adopt a pet, you can usually get it discounted or even free. So I can't imagine any reasonable explanation for having to dump defenseless kittens. Or for allowing a pet to become pregnant in the first place.
There's not much in the world I feel really strongly about... not many causes that get me in an total lather.... but this really and truly is one of them. People who are guilty of this crime should be punished severely because they absolutely suck.
Last Tuesday, a woman showed up at my neighbor's door with 4 kittens she found in an urn at the antique store on our block. While I suppose the mama cat might have dropped them in there, we feel it is highly unlikely and we never could find an adult cat anywhere. They were all clearly in "indoor" condition - there was no way a stray mama cat had been raising these guys outdoors.
The babies were so tiny - we figured approximately 2-weeks old (not just cute and furry but literally infants) - so my neighbor and I had a momentary lapse of reason and took 2 of them. Reality set in about 10 minutes after the stranger left with the other 2. What is it about any infant that will make your womb tingle and your ability to make rational decisions impossible??
We unfortunately discovered that none of the animals rights places would assist us - the song and dance is that it's illegal for them to take orphaned cats under 7 weeks old. We were told "nope, you're just gonna have to bottle feed them and then we can take them when they're old enough." (as if I'd give up an animal after hand raising it for a couple of months!) While I can understand a non-profit's hand being tied by animal control laws, I also seriously question laws and policies that would leave an endangered domestic animal in the hands of someone who doesn't have the resources or knowledge to properly care for it.
When reason set in, we realized these little guys had a very slim chance of survival, even if we could keep up with their care schedule. I kept the little girl and my neighbor kept the little boy overnight... after the 2 am and 6 am feedings we both knew we were unfit cat mama's (not to mention the stark realization that caring for any kind of infant has not been in either of our plans since we made it over the infancy hump with our human children).
Luckily Rob has contacts in the animal world (remember the squirrel babies weekend in 2004?) and he helped track down a rescue organization that specializes in orphaned kittens. I sadly handed them over at the vet's office they operate out of the following morning. Even more sad is the fact that its "kitten season" and the woman who runs the organization, The House of Hugs and Kisses, is getting ready for many more to come her way.
Kittens and puppies are cute. But there is absolutely no excuse for having a pet and not getting it spayed or neutered. Shelters are overrun with animals that are make their way into the world through irresponsibility, negligence and indifference. Spaying and neutering are cheap and if you adopt a pet, you can usually get it discounted or even free. So I can't imagine any reasonable explanation for having to dump defenseless kittens. Or for allowing a pet to become pregnant in the first place.
There's not much in the world I feel really strongly about... not many causes that get me in an total lather.... but this really and truly is one of them. People who are guilty of this crime should be punished severely because they absolutely suck.
Labels: rant
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
