Aussie Finch Forum

As they say, Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level & beat you with experience evry time.

I don't supose we have a psychologist amoungst us?


Gregh i think you have assumed too much with your profile.Peta says " the more you try to put people and animals in boxes to try and explain their behaviour the more you realise they dont belong there"

She just got home from the pub and i have no control over her comments but we will gladly add to your post tomorrow.

I hope not They'd commit us & throw away the key

... twisted , bent and kinda messed up and I keep birds . ( enter the music from the movie Psycho.)

I must have missed something,why did so many posts get censored ?
Gregh i hope i havent mislead you as

Censored

I think it is I that has misled you - that's why I removed the personal data. I'm not out to create a profile using volunteered submissions - it's not my area and I wouldn't go about it in this fashion as it's bound to create a biased sample. All I was attempting to do was see how we as a group of aviculturists feel we are perceived by the public, conservation & regulatory authorities. Perhaps I'm paranoid but I don't think we are viewed in a posative light at least by some vocal groups and for me some of my releations (on the "other side").

There probably are some characteristics that aviculturists share and one of those is clearly empathy undistorted by anthropomorphication. Mostly we meet our animals on their own terms without trying to force them to be something they are not. A pet like a puppy is surrigate for a child and their owners instill characeristics through breedng and behavoural training to reinfoced that. Aviary birds are not pets they are livestock and their management is based around the fact that the "germ-line" is more important than the individual. We understand that the needs and motivations of bird are not same as those of people. I get sick of the arguments of the "it's got wings it should be free" lobby - does that mean we can keep fligthless birds with impunity? of ocourse it doesn't. I believe they project their subjective "moral superiority " and denegrate those that would challenge them in order to affirm their own distorted view of reality. A puppy gives and returns "love" in a way that a zebra finch can not. I however don't expect it to and don't feel that it is any less of a creature or that my relationship is somehow lesser or pathological because it is without a misappropriated bond. If you think about it I know which owner actually seeks to pervert the course of nature. (Appologies to all the dog owners! )

desertbirds wrote:Peta says " the more you try to put people and animals in boxes to try and explain their behaviour the more you realise they dont belong there"

.

I divide people into 2 groups

Those who divide people into 2 groups

and

Those who do not

I have been fortunate to be involoved in our hobby for many years.I have also travelled to many countries and mixed with overseas avis.
Today it still continues and I can say without any hesitation that the comments made to you Glen are so far off that they would not comprehend.
The majority do not have any idea who keeps birds,infact we don't even know the full extent.
Examples, the wife of the worlds richest man,the Queen(small though) major American actors and high profile people in the entertainment area.
Then to the serious people,high profile company directors,self made successes and the list goes on.
The current proof are the those involved in the Rare Finch Group located in Sth Africa all are aviculturalists, all are or have been very successful in life.
What Mike Fidler has done here locally.
Its ignorant people who make those rash statements,if they were not so one sided and stepped back and delved a bit deeper then they would most likely keep their mouths shut.Also I should add that I am generalising but people like that don't want to see any other side of the discussion.
Our hobby is a great leveler,a person with their bum out of their pants can have a sensible discussion with a multi millionaire on exactly the same level.
Years ago a multi millionaire flew me to his home for advice on his collection(yes there were planes then) I was 19 years old he was a retire Gentleman
who had kept birds for a long while and had the money to buy the rare species.I had been successful and he wanted to know why.
There are few hobbies that will create that situation.
The key note speaker at the next convention Peter Karsten,aviculturalist,author,painter, was director of the Calgary Zoo for 20 years,advisor to the US govt. in setting up massive National Parks in Alaska, this same person would sit down with the likes of Jayburds age and talk one on one
Yes we do have a great hobby so don't let ignorant morons worry you

To Both GregH and EOrix- well said...couldn't agree more!

could nt agree more E Orix