In defense of the poor fish

[g30ff]

And for someone who was so blinded to what real truths there are in life, I am fairly well grounded in what is true and what is not. I mean really, what do you expect from a kid who's greatest fear is an infestation of butt worms and advocated killing "squishies" while jousting at the windmill to save the "fishies"?

I can't believe you guys... I bare my soul for you guys, revealing my deepest fear and I get nothing but ridicule for my troubles. In the future I'll stick to endoparasites if my language has given anyone cause for offense.

Codger, don't assume I'm a "kid". I may not be a man of your advanced years but I didn't go university straight out of high school. Before that I spent the better part of a decade out in the workforce having my youthful idealism spanked out of me by the not-always-pleasant real world, and all I got to show for it was a bad back and a messed up knee. Reread the relevant posts, at no point have I "advocated the killing of 'squishies'", I simply stated that wasn't fond of them, which is true. Nor have I been tilting at windmills to save the "fishies". Indeed I have not (unless there is a typo somewhere) used the term "fishies". I used "fishes" which is standard when you're refering to multiple species of fish. I care that people do not treat them as though they are completely incapable of feeling pain, but beyond that I could hardly be said to go out of my way to save the "fish" or "fishes", as you prefer. The reality of animal research, even relatively benign research, is that I am put in close contact and in conflict with the PETA/ALF types, and they don't do naked protests in front of labs. I am hardly one of them.

I survived the youthful exhuberence of false ideals and crusades, society did too, and I have lived to be an old man know-it-all without the idealist part.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[Codger_64]

Wow! Took you long enough dude! Fishie rhymes with squishie. Call it poetic license, I care not for linguistics. No nude protesters? Man, that is rough. But hanging out at KFC is still an option. They do publish this sort of thing. A bunch of my huinter friends get a kick out of attending with photo albums of their fish and deer. They are always respectful (in a "Monty Python" sort of way). And it is a good place to get a snack while you are observing.

Nah, I doubt you are a kid though by the time you reach my age, anyone who doesn't remember President Eisenhower is a kid. If I have offended you I apologize.

I also abhore sadistic people pretending to be sportsmen. But I feel no remorse in killing whatever animal I wish, be it a fish, a pig or piglet, a beef cow or a fatted calf. Or Buck or doe deer or bambi. I always do it in the most humane way I can. And I don't waste edible portions or strew the lakes, rivers and countryside with offal. Yes, I have seen people do these things.

I still believe that lower animals even mammals process pain differently. Without the ability to reason (which makes humans unique), they have no concept of the future therefore no way to reason death. Their reactions to pain are instinctive, not reasoned.

Codger

 

[g30ff]

Although I'd obviously go a bit further than you on the matter of the little fishies' ability to feel pain and consider the future, I haven't the slightest problem with the way you fish (or hunt). As to the question of whether animals can reason, it depends a lot on the kind of reasoning you're talking about, even when dealing with fishies...

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v445/n7126/abs/nature05511.html

Yep, I read some pretty strange stuff.

 

[g30ff]

LOL, I bet, and you know this how?

Well, since you asked... Back in the day I had a couple 14 gauge rings of surgical steel rudely thrust through my man-teats. But I'm guessing you figured that out yourself. Back in the '90s the ladies really went for that kind of thing so I have no regrets. I had them done by an amateur piercer at a 'piercing party'. The actual piercing itself was something of a relief after the clamping--the guy was clamping so hard that his arm was shaking. Unbeknownst to me, most of the folks that attended these parties were masochists, so the piercer (a born again christian goth computer programmer from England) out of concern for the piercees' enjoyment of the experience took great pains to make the it as painful as humanly possible. I didn't find that out that little detail until everyone told me afterwards how surprised they were that I didn't flinch. So here's my little urban survival tip for you all: If you have any work done at a piercing party, make sure the piercer knows you aren't a masochist (unless, of course, you are ).

LMFAO!!! That one is great. I have a love hate relationship with hippies, some are cool, others just need to be used to start a colony on mars.

I couldn't agree with you more, especially the part about the martian colony. Isn't it about time we sent a ship there?

 

[misanthropist]

I don't like hurting things at all - not even bugs. I have raccoons living in my house for about a year because I haven't had the heart to kick them out. I am not into cruelty. But I will kill animals of any type, including people, if I think it is necessary, and I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

I eat meat and I don't have a problem killing animals for food. It doesn't make me happy to watch anything die. But it bothers animals a lot less than it bothers me...they have no problem eating stuff while it's still kicking. Nature is brutal. I try to be better than nature requires me to be by killing animals as quickly and effeciently as I can.

 

[2brothers]

I was cutting up some lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad
last night and I got really worried.

I'm almost positive they were crying when I finished.

mike

 

[mymindisamob]

I was cutting up some lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad
last night and I got really worried.

I'm almost positive they were crying when I finished.

mike

You're not doing it right then. The screaming and crying should be over when your finished. Unless you're just cruel.