## Geez, You're Sick!

Posted March 17, 1997

> I got this e-mail on March 15, in response to my personals ad:

> Geez! You are sick! Not that you are a zoo, that's fine, I guess. What is truly nausiating is that you will hunt, kill and eat what you love. If you really respect your animal friends so much, why aren't you vegan? Strike that, if you really loved and respected animals, you wouldn't rape them either!

My response follows:

    Hi [snip],

    >Geez! You are sick!

    Oh, don't worry, I got over my pneumonia months ago. :)

    >Not that you are a zoo, that's fine, I guess.

    Glad to hear it. :)

    >What is truly nausiating is that you will hunt, kill and eat what you love.

    Well, I don't do it to the same individual animals. I recognize the animal
    nature inside myself, both the physical and the spiritual. I understand
    that, in order for me to survive, something living must die somewhere, be
    it plant or animal. I don't put animals in one category as being superior
    to plants and therefore more worthy of concern and respect: life is life,
    be it four-legged, two-legged, six-legged, or no-legged. Nature doesn't
    categorize and classify like we do; that's a human trait.

    >If you really respect your animal friends so much, why aren't you vegan?

    It isn't necessary to be a vegan to respect (or to love) animals. The
    Native Americans hunted, fished, and trapped extensively, but they also
    had a deep respect (indeed, a worship) for the animals they killed. So
    do I, in much the same way. I give thanks to the animals I kill: after
    the kill itself, before the meals, and at various other times, when the
    spirit moves me.

    >Strike that, if you really loved and respected animals, you wouldn't rape
    >them either!

    Interesting. This phrase implies that you don't believe sexual relationships
    between humans and animals can be consentual, yet:

    1. You read my personals ad far enough that, were you going to be turned off
       by it, you would have clicked away much earlier,

    2. Earlier, you say that being a zoo is "fine," and

    3. You sent in a properly-filled out gender preference survey response,
       labeling yourself as a male zoo-exclusive with a general preference for
       female animals.

    I can draw one of three conclusions from this data:

    a. You are indeed a zoo, but you are having trouble dealing with your
       feelings, hence your reference to "rape",

    b. You are not a zoo at all, and are attempting to sway my survey stats
       (naughty, naughty; you know I can spot that sort of thing :), or

    c. You're a zoo who's so disgusted by hunting that you'd rather call me a
       rapist than admit we both have the same sexual feelings toward animals.

    Either way, I appreciate your input, and look forward to your response. I
    will put your survey response on hold until I hear back from you as to
    its authenticity.

P.S. This man wrote back the next day, revealing he was indeed pulling my leg about the survey. He was kind of surprised I would even reply; I think (hope?) I impressed him. :)

visits since 8/9/97

Flames -- Updated Wednesday, March 19, 1997 -- E-mail Actaeon