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Actually, quite a few people on this forum have done research first and have ended up adopting guinea pigs rather than purchasing them.
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Theres the rub, right there exactly. Quite a few people
on this forum.
Most people never get or go this far in their ownership of any pet, and while it was wrong of me to call you who are members of PETA "morons", again it is a unwavering ethic and combative position that prevents your own goals from being realized. That is what I mean when I speak of things moronic. The flood of customers going to Petsmart and Petco are not member of PETA, nor do they visit care guides and forums either on the internet or in any community about any pet they own. Yes education can help, but just like the noble work people in shelters do, that is an uphill battle. When you combine the uphill, effort-intensive battle of re-education with a combative attitude towards those in a position to change things (Pet store CEOs), you have a nearly hopeless endeavour that does nothing but gain support from a minority and scorn from the majority.
If you want any proof of how the stance PETA has taken is percieved by the masses, visit
Urban Dictionary: Define Your World and search for "PETA".
Susan, I know you and other mods have stipulated that critcism of this type is walking the line, but I would encourage you to see it as constructive rather than combative, as I impart no animocity into these typed words and seek only to expand the range of discussion on the issue brought up by this thread.
But, PETA opinions aside, and to return to the real issue here, you mentioned that you dont understand my point. My point is simply that while using boycotts and other combative measures to instigate change might work eventually, MORE change MORE QUICKLY could occur if one were willing to approach the problem rationally and pragmatically, rather than emotionally and indignantly. It would be more effective, in this case, to use diplomacy to satisfy both the goals of activists and those of corporations. Currently, all that seems to be happening is non-cooperation with pet stores or worse, combative action.
You need to realize that just like the thousands of pigs out there and the thousands of breeders and the thousands of stores, there are thousands of pet purchasers that dont know anything, many of whom will never know about your education campaigns or rescues or about the overpopulation problems. The best solution is to create a system that doesnt require them to know. The best solution, it seems to me, is a system that doesnt rely on lots of humans to be virtuous. The best solution is one that either only relies on a few to be, or one that uses market forces to force humans to be virtuous in order to serve their own self-interest. While the idea of selling pigs for profit might make your stomach turn, you could retrofit your shelters to market to stores, offer compeditive prices to breeders, and use the invisible hand to push the world your way.
Your way, the father still buys his little girl a guinea pig from Petsmart and gives it up 8 months later when she loses interest, likely meaning death for the pig. My way, that guinea pig was already saved from some nasty fate, and in all probability, will be again.