Hello!
I've been largely absent for a little while, things have been busy for me. How are all of you?
I'm posting because I've been a little disappointed in the way things have been happening around here lately. We have enough enemies in public sphere already; we don't need to be making more of each other.
This is a place of free speech, and while nobody has the right to take that away from you, I do urge you all to use it with forethought. Please stop the passive aggression, the antagonism, the snide remarks and the self-righteousness. What makes you think anyone will respect zoos when we don't respect each other?
You don't have to agree with someone to respect them, and you don't have to like them either. But, you do have to afford them some of the basic courtesies that you'd want to receive yourself. I don't wish to take a side on the recent events: I speak to both equally. So please, calm down, read the sidebar, and return to contributing with the dignity and respect for others that you all had until recently.
Oh, and please stop using the downvote button as a disagreement button.
~ T-V
I agree firmly with you. :)
Downvoted.
Kidding :D
Speaking as an "old timer" who's been banned from various communities due to disagreements:
It's not anyone in particulars fault, it's everyone's fault. I used to blame others for my bans in other communities, then I realized I was as responsible as anyone for stirring the pot the way I did. I don't think any kind of behavior that divides the zoo community helps us. If you don't agree with a portion of the community and don't find them representative of you, that's fine, but quit trying to throw people under the bus because you disagree with them. Unless someone is blatantly raping an animal and proud of it, I can't think of one instance where trying to split them from the community will help.
I don't care whether the person shoots porn, is a fence hopper, whatever, you afford them some very basic level of respect. You can make it known you don't like what they are doing (I don't like any of the above) but making enemies out of potential friends isn't going to get us anywhere at all... ever.
I was a young zoo once who too felt he was a "true scot" zoophile and everyone else should be held to his standard. This doesn't help anyone in practice and TV is right... we just need to cool our jets and accept that alienating people by telling them things like "good riddance" when they feel hurt won't get us anywhere, no matter how we feel about how they conduct themselves. Like it or not, they are human. Afford them some decent human rights.
EDIT: Wow, 79% upvoted? Who the heck is messing around and downvoting this?
Word. Even if I don't agree with what someone's doing, I'm going to at least be respectful and civil to them. I'm even polite to anti-zoos who leave me messages in my tumblr inbox; I think everyone at least deserves politeness, not matter what you think about them or their views. Especially within the zoo community. We're already such a significant minority with limited support, we don't need to divide ourselves further. We can disagree with people without being hateful or rude.
And there were some people commenting here a while ago who said they'd be downvoting everything on this subreddit (it was linked somewhere else on reddit, can't remember where) because they thought zoophilia was disgusting. Might be them.
Sounds probable. I wonder if they realize that doesn't accomplish much of anything?
I get your 'no true scot' argument but surely a line has to be drawn somewhere no?
Not at basic respect... With the exception of perhaps blatant zoosadism... But no one here thinks that and zoophilia remotely converge.