Tiger attack...who's fault is it?

Earthdog and I just watched all of the "Plant of the Ape" movies made in the 70's this last weekend. Even though the later sequels were kind of funny (I think because of the 70's music and actors), a lot of what they touched on really does go to show how hypocritical humans really are when it comes to "animals".........

Either she has a great sense of humor or you sleep with BOTH eyes open!......MrP

Exactly!

Edog: "I'm glad to see alot of people here have alread convicted . . . before all evidence is in and the investigation is completed."
Parfive: "Kinda like what happens on RTH sometimes."
Edog: "Parfive, when has that happened here?"

I’m not talking about people that have proven themselves to be bad apples – tmorris, etc.

Seems like any new member, if they ever had anything to do with sellin’ rocks, is immediately put on the defensive about what they’re doin’ here. Basically guilty (of something) until proven innocent (or worthy). As one of ‘em put it, “I’m being lynched (over there)” – meaning another thread. And I think he was right.

Some stick it out and eventually blend into the woodwork. Others just figure “Screw this, I’m outta here.” I think we’ve chased away a few that could have added their lapidary knowledge to this site.



I think a lotta conclusions were jumped to over on the Secret Santa thread. Sure, most were probably couched with if, if, if, but the inference was there. Regardless of how it turns out, the verdict was in. (I’m surprised no one wondered aloud where the sign-up thread got to.)

Rich

I'm in Canada so I can't speak for the US media reporting about this attack, but maybe I can a bit since much of my news comes from MSN (US). Anyhow, I certainly don't have any problem with the news reports I've seen locally or on MSN so far. This is a high-interest story, and I think the media has a responsibility to report the latest information on this story, even if it hasn't yet been proven as fact.

I don't think anyone would be very happy with news coverage that said, "An escaped tiger killed someone at the SF zoo, but until we know all the details from an inquiry in 6 months, or a year, or two years from now, we won't release any further details about the story."

-Don

Let me state emphatically 'Humans are at the top of the food chain'. About that I have no doubt. The other animals are on display at the zoo because intelligence overcomes our physical limitations.

I did not say we were always at the top, nor that we would always be on top. We are on top now.

We complain about "the media" but it must report stories that interest us. That is what they do. We are curious and repulsed and fascinated but we want to know.

We complain about Lawyers harming society but it is JURIES (YOU AND ME) who find people guilty and award outrageous sums of money for ridiculous reasons. Lawyers just represent the people; they tell the facts as they see it and if the jury felt their version was baloney, no guilt would be assigned and no monetary reparations would be made.

people make a living crying about the ACLU and all the harm it does. Yes they complain...until they are accused of breaking the law. There is no bigger complainer in America than Rush Limbaugh. he always complains about the ACLU and that it destroys his America....except when he gets caught with all kinds of illegal drugs, who helps him out...yes the very ACLU he lambasts every day...and he gladly accepts their help ...I guess it's different when you are the guilty party.

csroc

Chas: I would agree that "humans" as in humankind taken collectively, are very temporarily balancing on one foot at the top of the food pyramid. Humans individually or even collectively, in any third world mudhole, not so much. You might say it takes a village to cage a tiger *S* and even then, it seems the village screws the pooch now and then. Chas, I'm sure if you met the tiger outside the cage, you'd shout to the heavens that by God you're at the top of the food chain. The tiger on the other had would be thinking " Boy I wish food could be quiet. All this squealing is disturbing my concentration while I chew!"

The massed experience and technology of the human species in privileged countries is keeping the folks in those places afloat as long as the resources last. Unfortunately, unlike the army ants that have this sort of mass effect, humanity destroys it's habitat while scouring the country for it's needed raw materials. The ants, not being an aberrant species, are environmentally correct enough to take the food and leave the jungle environment to produce more. A species that must change or destroy environment to survive, rather than adapting to fit it's environment, can only be a brief blip on the geological time scale. All our arrogance, feelings of superiority and high ideals are simply a thinking animals coping mechanism to make us feel good about ourselves and less guilty while we knowingly, selfishly, and stupidly destroy our habitat and that of thousands of more species.

Think of it this way. From a biological and geological standpoint, A living planet is a large, long lived living organism. Humankind is like a case of acne on the planet's skin. It spreads creating it's pimples, scars, and pits on the planetary surface like any such infection does. Think of bacteria, viruses, protozoans and such as the planets white blood cells, always mutating and fighting the acne infection. Sooner or later, the white blood cells destroy the infection and within a relatively short time geologically, presto chango, just like magic, mankind, the destructive aberration is gone and the planet again has nice clear unblemished skin *L* Oh, and the roaches, scorpions and maybe even some version of the beautiful tiger, will still be around.....Mel

Chas: Don't have to be smart to live in balance taking what you need and only what you need. Most all plants and animals do that "except" mankind. In nature species even develop to fill unoccupied niches and reproduce in concert with existing resource supplies. Rodents in good food supply years have larger broods and rodent eating birds for instance, have population peaks that follow rodent population peaks and smaller broods when rodents are scarce. Humankind refuses to acknowledge human population needs to be controlled despite obvious damage to the environment and exhaustion of both habitat and resources due to overpopulation. In fact reproduction seems to be more in vogue than ever. Man's numbers exceeded comfortable carrying capacity for the planet years ago and still we breed like crazy horny gerbils. Thank God for "global warming" as one mini Ice Age with it's accompanying grain crop failures in northern areas would probably be the tipping point for a major famine in much of the world. Easier for farmers to combat warmer than colder . It always kills me when loud mouthed hypocrites like Al Gore scream global warming BS yet are totally afraid to tackle the real issue which is simply and totally overpopulation, because to say "don't friggin have any more kids" is just oh so non politically correct! Sheesh! Guess you can tell why I don't have kids huh?. *S*...Mel

What in the SAM HELL are you talkin bout Kev?

(I'm really confused...)