Re: NANFA--Minnow Trap Advice

B.G. Granier (bgkajun_at_worldnet.att.net)
Fri, 26 Jan 2001 16:38:45 -0600

George,

I hear what you're saying and believe that you really care about all life,
not just the human variety.

For thousands and thousands of years species have preyed upon one another,
that is the law of nature. I'm sure you've seen the cartoons that have been
around for years and years: tiny fish-small fish-a larger fish, then a giant
fish, and the last caption is of one gigantic fish who grew so large and
fircesome because it was in it's nature to do so........

Dream back to the beginnings of mankind's existance, if you will...........

Remember being hunted and eaten by whatever beasts that could prey upon us?
What about the lowly insects that fed upon the carcass?

The earth is a cruel and at the same time, a vital place! Live and let live
will never happen! Just ask Saddam Hussien........or Hitler.......

I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but remember that in all things earthly,
logic and kindness don't always rule.........

Signed,

Mother Earth
----- Original Message -----
From: <Arndtg_at_aol.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 3:59 PM
Subject: Re: NANFA--Minnow Trap Advice

> I think someone said that he supports those who do what is morally
correct.
> he feels that feeding wild caught fish to his captive fish at home is
morally
> correct so he supports his actions.
>
> well. I believe there is some subtle errors in this logic. first
basically
> everyone is always doing what he thinks is morally correct. for example.
I
> would put out the extreme example of Hitler. I would guess that Hitler
> actually thought it was morally correct for him to put other people to
death.
> so to support all people doing what they think is morally correct is
> anarchy. NOT good logic.
>
> what the logic really implies is that I want to support what I do. I
think
> it is morally OK so therefore I support my actions with this error in my
> logic. I am not really supporting YOU in doing what you want I am really
> support ME in doing what I want to do.
>
> then why not support that this guy who wants to restock a stream that he
just
> be allowed to do it. why are we educating him to his error. NO it is NOT
> correct to support anyone and everyone to do whatever their silly brain
waves
> tell them it is OK to do.
>
> This gets us into the fundamental question of mythology and life. A
> reasonable guess is to look at the ceremony that the native american
indians
> performed when they went out to hunt the food they needed to survive.
They
> prayed to the spirit of the animal to come to help them. they honored the
> spirit of the animal. they knew that the act of taking an animal was a
> scared act. that the act was a mystery of mythological proportions.
>
> Personally, earlier today and also yesterday and the day before. I have
> looked at the poor little goldfish in my tank and talked to him telling
him
> that he was to become the food for another fish. I told him that I did
not
> understand the mystery. that somehow he was giving his life that the life
of
> the other fish may live. that I did not understand it. but that it was
OK.
> what else could I tell the poor fish.
>
> I too have found many contridictions in the emails of nanfa. we all talk
> about conservation. but then I read of complaints that no one is doing
> anything much about it. how difficult it is to find people to do the
things.
> I read about how all the fish are declining in population. and I read
how
> we are netting the fish by the good groups and taking them home to feed
our
> captive fish.
>
> I read how someone complained how a european country is now going to sell
> whale meat to the japanese and the complaint was that NO one was starving
in
> europe or japan that the whale meat was going to save their life. no the
> whale meat was going to go to the rich who could afford this rare food.
>
> Are we the aware rich ones. the ones who know where there is still a
pocket
> of wild native fish and do we go and catch all we want to feed our fish
who
> could be fed on all kinds of other food. Has our own mind played a trick
on
> us. Has our mind blocked our awareness to the fact that we may or might
be
> caught in a subtle ego trap ??
>
> These are deep questions. I cannot answer them. But originally when I
found
> the nanfa web site. I felt here was a place where people were WORKING TO
> SAVE THE NATIVE FISH. then I joined nanfa and read every email that comes
> in. Well there is a lot of talk about all the fish that the members have
> captured. yes we take the fish into the prison of our glass tank. we
feed
> them the jail rations that we decide upon. but have we followed in the
> footsteps of the native american indians.
>
> Have we prayed to the spirits of the fish. Have we honored them. Have we
> talked to them and told them of our needs. Have we taken only the minimum
> lives of the fish that are essential for our life. Or have we done as the
> modern american. Just take what we want and say. I support what I
believe
> is morally correct. You can NOT stop me from doing what I choose to do
> because I believe it is morally correct. And besides I am a powerful
being
> and these fish are lowly weak beings that I can control and do with as I
> please. I need not pray to them. they need to pray to me. they will
learn
> of my power. they shall fear me. for I do what is morally correct to me.
> and basically all that I do is morally correct. for I am the judge of
> morality. MY MIND RULES THE UNIVERSE.
>
> sorry guys I got carried away. hehe. I want to go catch some common
minnows
> and feed them to my fish. but I do NOT morally justify my action. I
don't
> know what to do. My ego is out of control. My ego tells me what to do.
My
> ego always says that I am OK and you are wrong. and as I sit in my moral
> cacoon, I look out upon a world of evil by other people and only good
coming
> from me. and of course I see some good coming from other people when they
> agree with the ideas in my mind.
>
> Tyson Foods raises and butchers over 2 billion chickens per year. yes 2
> billion living animals put to death every year. I don't know what to say.
> But I remember that day back in 1991, I think it was 91. during Desert
Storm
> at the end. our planes were killing the enemy in a slaughter. I had the
> spiritual experience of hearing a crying and whailling of thousands of
dying
> souls. This came from deep within my soul. and the tv talked of the
world
> of the ego and self satisfactions with winning the war. It took me some
time
> to get over the deaths of my fellow human beings.
>
> Are the little fish of life in my local stream any different ???
>
> I don't think I can write a paper on minnow traps. I don't think I can
tell
> other people how to catch the fish. Right now I think I will go over and
take
> the feeder goldfish out of that big tank and think some more about this
hobby
> of mine.
>
> George Arndt
> Harvard, MA
>
>
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/----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org