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
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"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