Teresa, I was home in bed with a cold yesterday or would have added my
thoughts much more quickly. You didn't realize what a hornet's nest you
had stepped into or what a history there was of this issue. I hope it's
not too late to apologize for any hurt feelings I've caused you, as one of
the protagonists in the "nasty cats" saga. I applauded Michael's
commentary because it was very clear, pointed, and appropriate for the
issue, not because I thought you needed to be chastized. I would guess
Michael used the third person because he was speaking generally rather than
specifically against you. The only thing that's really ironic about
it--and it makes my head spin--is that both cat lovers and bird lovers are
animal lovers, and as soon as you love anything, you get pretty emotional
about it. What else but strong feelings?

You ARE a valued member of Tweeters, with a history of good contributions,
and I'd hate to lose you. You're more than welcome in any class I ever
teach (most of which are full of cat owners, both indoor and outdoor). Bob
Sundstrom, who teaches birding by ear, is an outdoor cat owner, if that
makes you feel any better. Anyone who shuns you because of this suffers
from the same narrow-mindedness that is responsible for so many of the
world's problems, both environmental and social.

I agree with many who have written that it's easy to get carried away on
this medium. I think all of us would benefit from typing our comments,
then pausing to peruse what we've written and judging it against a list of
*positive* rather than negative reasons for communication. All the
responses to Teresa's latest posting show the value of this. There are 2
sides (actually a lot more than 2) to every story, and the very least we
can do is to consider them. I think Teresa has set an example in
rationality for all of us.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416