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Need to rant about this one....

3K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  bniebetta 
#1 ·
So i got the idea today to contact my local library and give them a proposal of a betta fish awareness event I want to hold. I have been soooo excited since i thought of it and made a comment on facebook about how i hoped they would let me do it. this is the response I got (from a good friend, he was sort of picking on be, but mostly not):

"really? world hunger. global war. rampant illness, continuous misuse of the worlds finances, racism, bigotry, poverty, and now beta fish? not gonna lie. i'm not really seein' it. you wanna cause? do you realize that if (god forbid) your brother gets shot that the Red Cross will make him pay for any blood he recieves as part of his rescue and recovery? lets bring awareness to that! just sayin' =]"

are you kidding me?? I'm sorry that I cant solve every freaking problem in the world and wanted to make a difference in something I am knowledgeable about and that I think is an acuatal (no matter how small) problem. Can't people just UNDERSTAND about bettas already?? also, way to bring back the anxiety that my brother will die in battle. pff.
 
#2 ·
This attitude annoys me so much. Many people are already focussing on the big problems, and good on them, but it doesn't make the other problems go away. Yes, we should be aware of the Red Cross and world hunger and poverty and human trafficking - it's all awful. But what about the problems at home? Homelessness, debt...and animal abuse? Fish form a massive fraction of abused animals. Here in Australia there are roughly 18.4 million domestic fish, compared to 3.5 million dogs and 2.6 million cats, yet fish form a ridiculously minute proportion of cruelty cases due to total ignorance by the fish-owning population (and everyone else). I don't see how helping people to care for their animals could not be a worthy cause.

A lot of people use the "Pfft, if we are going to start caring about fish, we may as well start caring about microbes, too!" It's a load of nonsense and it really hacks me off.
 
#3 ·
Seriously though! that's my point. Its like what do you want me to do?? fix every single problem the world has and THEN educated people about animal care? yeah, that's a good idea. thanks for reading my rant, it just made me soooo angry.
 
#5 ·
He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." - Immanuel Kant
"A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as well as that of his fellowman, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that is in need of help." - Dr. Albert Schweitzer
And my favorite--
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

By helping animals we are helping to promote compassion in general, we are helping the world and the people in it. Good luck to you, and I hope your brother stays safe.
 
#6 ·
@bniebetta - But... are they going to let you hold the event? Some people believe in causes that I don't feel are important. But if the cause is important to YOU, then that's what matters.

@Bombalurina - But... microbes ARE important!

@percyfyshshelley - Excellent quotes! If bniebetta hasn't already gotten permission to hold the event, those quotes could be helpful in getting them to OK the event.
 
#8 ·
are you kidding me?? I'm sorry that I cant solve every freaking problem in the world and wanted to make a difference in something I am knowledgeable about and that I think is an acuatal (no matter how small) problem. Can't people just UNDERSTAND about bettas already??
Well said.Don't let anyone upset or belittle what you want to do.Animal Welfare (of any kind) is an extremely important cause.Good on you! :cool:
 
#10 ·
what kind of friend is this? who says those things? the only appropriate response from a friend would be encouragement if they like your idea or silence if they don't. No need to belittle you. And what benefit is it to them to bring your brother into it like that? Obviously he is a soldier, fighting for a cause, what disrespect to use his name in order to make your cause seem smaller. No good friend would intentionally do that. I am so sorry that was the response you received. I think your idea is wonderful. Even bettas are part of this world and trying to save one small part of the world is equal to trying to save the world for the world is not the world without all of its parts. I wish your brother safety!
 
#11 ·
Wow, what an awful attitude. I think the Betta awareness thing is a great idea, and will probably attract quite a lot of attention. The thing is, people are constantly reminded by the media about these global issues to the point where they start to ignore the problems at home. Many people dismiss good causes because 'there are bigger things to worry about', and yet if all these people really meant that then these problems would surely be fixed. Sure, I understand that problems like poverty and mass discrimination are matters of concern but sometimes it is good to address the problems nearer to you. I think that the sheer magnitude of abuse fish go through should be addressed and who knows, maybe your efforts will be the start of more public awareness. Good luck to you, and keep trying.
 
#17 ·
I'm sorry I lost this thread. Thats wonderful that he got married! Does he know where he will be deployed to? Did you set up your meeting to plan the awareness session?
 
#18 ·
I'm vegan and people are super rude about it on a regular basis, including friends.

Believe me, the people who say stuff like this (in my experience) do absolutely nothing about any of those issues either. The idea that a person can actually care about more than one issue at a time seems to have escaped them.

You are making a difference in the world. A positive difference to better the lives of sentient creatures who have no voice. KUDOS YOU!!!
 
#19 ·
if you save one fishes life, it won't make much difference to the world, but it will make a world of difference to that fish!

I'm glad you're doing this, it's much needed. I just got a job not long ago at a day spa. They have several bettas all over the spa, all in bowls or vases. no heaters, no room to move, nothing. So, I asked if I could take one to my massage room. I chose one that is really interested in everything around him, but he's soo faded from being cold and not being fed well. I bought him a 3 gallon tank with heater and I've just moved him in there, with a little cave thing, he loves it. I don't know how old he is or anything, but I do know that he'll be happier now, and I'm hoping to show by example how to take care of these beauties.
They had one die this week from being too cold, I don't want to see that happen again.
 
#20 ·
Good for you! I'm glad you got the appointment :) Libraries are wonderful, free places, and I'm happy that yours was good enough to let you educate others in it's book filled halls. Do us good! :)
 
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