Getting bashed by best friend over snake

[mechagrue]

The first thing that struck me about your story is that the snake was surrounded by a group of people who basically asked you to kill it. It's not as if you walked into your friend's yard, spotted a snake, and said "Get me mah shovel! It's killin' time!" (We could debate whether or not the snake deserved to be killed, but let's not.)

The second thing that struck me is that it's my understanding that your friend was nowhere near the "incident," nor was it in any way connected to her. She just heard about it later, and went off on you. Were her kids involved, or was it in her yard? That would change my response, albeit only just a little.

I agree with the poster who said that this is a religious issue. Veganism may not be an officially sanctioned religion, but it occupies the same psychological territory. And it's just as futile to argue with.

If I had a conservative religious friend who flipped out when she learned that I'm a devout atheist... let's just say, we wouldn't remain friends for long. I'm sure this isn't the first time she's handed you your ass on a plate regarding your actions, nor will it be the last.

If I was in your shoes, I'd drop her from the friends list. Who needs it, right? People who go off on judgmental tirades about things that have nothing to do with them are ineligible for my "friend" category. You deserve better.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Here's my $.02 on this.

There's no use crying over already-beheaded snakes. But I don't think it should have been killed in the first place. Unless it were already wounded by the inept efforts of the other people I would have just chased it into the bushes. A chicken/rat/corn snake in a suburban neighborhood poses no problems except to the resident rodents. It won't be a bother "roaming the streets". The people there should learn to be tolerant of, & even appreciate its presence in their yards. I think people are ignorant who kill snakes, spiders, wasps & bees without knowing for certain whether they pose a threat or danger to them or the animals in their care.

I know in some states these chicken/rat snakes can grow really big & be a real threat to chickens & chicks. In my yard we get beautiful red rat snakes who have killed (but not been able to swallow!) chicks of ours. I catch them when I see them and with permission release them into nearby nature preserves. We also are keeping a few as pets. I have no issues with folks who know the snakes that are preying on their pets & livestock and decide to dispatch them. But I do with those whose reflexive response is "There's-a-snake-kill-it!" and only afterwards "By the way, what species was it? Oh dear, we shredded the garden hose again!"

I also do not have issues with vegans. Neither would I waste time & energy in debate with them. We would simply have to agree to disagree and move on to more common ground.

 

[Q9]

Quote:
That's one thing I never get. People who freak out over eating meat (or killing a potention threat) and then ignore the millions of starving people living in mud huts running the constant risk of malaria. The thing is, other animals eat meat; why shouldn't we?

About dealing with the snake, on a Memorial Day celebration at a friend's house, a king snake came out of nowhere and freaked everyone out. However, instead of killing it, some loopy/brave guy ran up, grabbed it by the tail, swung it in a circle, and sent it hurtling into a tree downhill aout 50 feet away.

It was awesome.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Sorry this is off topic, buttt.

I was in Fayettville a few years back and driving home with a rat I purchased for one of my snakes. The darn thing chewed a hole in the box and got out and it was under my feet driving down a busy street, Bragg Blvd. I pulled in a gas station and made the mistake of opening the door while trying to retrieve the rat. Out goes the rat, out I go chasing the rat around pumps, trash cans, and whatever else he can find to elude capture.

Well as you can suspect I was attracting a crowd and someone probably was calling the police because a nut was chasing a rat. Well I finally caught the rat and as I was carrying him by the tail back to the car. I noticed the crowd with puzzled looks. So just before getting in the car I said "Whewww that was close, I thought I wasn't going to be able to eat tonight".

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
No. I disagree. It was unnecessarily cruel. Not funny. No.

You can eat meat, or not. You can feed meat to your pets, or not. Either way, you can still care about animal welfare. And of course you should care about the human condition world-wide.

You can butcher & process animals for food. You can dispatch animals that are pests & predators to your household.

But you must be humane. Not cruel. Not causing unnecessary pain or harm. Not indiscriminately. With wisdom & knowledge & awareness.

Certainly not rolling with laughter afterwards.

 

[swedishfish]

I agree Sunny Side Up. Be humane. Animals deserve respect.
And one thing that I have always thought was strange, conservatives and naturey people are always mad at hunters, when hunters are the most conservative, environmentally minded people I know.

 

[Wifezilla]

Just keep in mind that a common side effect of a vegan diet is brain shrinkage.

"According to a new study, vegetarians and vegans are six times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage than meat eaters.

The link was discovered after scientists at Oxford University ran memory tests, physical checks and brain scans on 107 people between the ages of 61and 87, and then retested them five years later.

Researchers speculate the loss of brain mass in vegetarians and vegans is due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12, which is found in meat, fish and eggs. This type of brain atrophy is linked to Alzheimer's Disease and other cognitive failings."
http://www.asylum.com/2008/09/15/a-vegertarian-diet-shrinks-the-brain/

 

[redhen]

Quote:
No. I disagree. It was unnecessarily cruel. Not funny. No.

You can eat meat, or not. You can feed meat to your pets, or not. Either way, you can still care about animal welfare. And of course you should care about the human condition world-wide.

You can butcher & process animals for food. You can dispatch animals that are pests & predators to your household.

But you must be humane. Not cruel. Not causing unnecessary pain or harm. Not indiscriminately. With wisdom & knowledge & awareness.

Certainly not rolling with laughter afterwards.

 

[scogind]

Next time relocate it to her closet!