Is anyone sad.

[maggie01]

Is anyone sad that the whale in the thames has lost it's life.?

'This is in response to sheffwed39 I think it's extremely sad that it didn't make it back to the deeper waters regardless of where it was found. If it wasn't news then it shouldn't be on the news chanel.

[Englishbird]

Maggie, I was very sad that the Whale's story ended the way it did. I don't understand why some people seem so upset that some of us were moved by this. Surely there's enough sympathy to go round. Just because I wanted the Whale to live doesn't mean I don't give a sh*t about abused children.

Many of us have stresses and worries and a limited number of 'happy endings' in our normal day to day lives, there is nothing wrong whatsoever of having a bit of hope that that creatures story could have had a happy ending. When so often we are consumed with stories of death and injustice. Alas it did not, which yes, made me sad. And I find any suggestion that I am 'wrong' by feeling this way, ridiculous.

[maggie01]

Englishbird. A happy ending would have made a nice change. I feel sorry for the people who think the way they do regarding the fact that you can not have any feeling for one thing because there is something more important round the corner. Today is today. Tomorrow I will deal with when it arrives. Thanks for your reply and couldn't agree more.

[charliebaps]

I am quite ambivalent on the matter but am schoked to see stars handed out to those that agree yet people who have spent time making this an interesting thread with different view points get none!

I thought answer bank was more open minded than that.

[maggie01]

I do not like this star rating system for this very reason. I am sure everyone put a lot of thought into the answers, but I asked if anyone was sad that the whale had died. Ok obviously not everyone was, but I would hardly give 3 stars to anyone that said it deserved to die because it was daft enough to get lost. I did't ask if anyone thought the money could have been spent better elsewhere or about starving children , or about whether people ate meat , wore leather or the fact that someones cat had died and didn't hit the news headlines. Sorry if anyone was unhappy with my ratings

[maggie01]

I have gone back over the answers for which I haven't rated but I still see no reason to rate them sorry.

[sako 243]

ok then.if that is the kind of answer you want here is mine.no.

[sako 243]

maggie,to give 3 stars for a post that suggests i would like to shoot the poster for no reason confuses me.i think its a case of some one after your own heart and not the content as a rational arguement?????????

[maggie01]

Whatever. Lets just get on with our lives!

[enigma]

Part 1 : Good Lordy Englishbird and Maggie , talk about spitting the dummy and yet I am accused of going off at a tangent ! My argument was typed after careful deliberation and FULLY checking my facts. On what occasion Englishbird did I say that because you care about the plight of the poor whale that you do not care about abused children or were 'wrong' to feel the way you do ? I made no mention of this in MY post and on the contrary commented that I felt that it WAS indeed sad that the whale died. For the record Maggie , I did NOT say that you could not feel sad about one thing because there was something more important around the corner. What I actually said - if you had taken the time to fully digest the contents of my answer before partly dissecting it and pulling out the salient points - was that whilst I found it all quite sad , there were of course far more dominant headlines which held my attention more and affected me on a different level. I was not ridiculing you for your compassion , rather stating an opinion that whilst the whale will be long forgotten in a few weeks time by most people - war , famine , child abuse etc is still rearing it's ugly head and preys heavily on people's minds. That is not to say that I am decrying your decision to mourn 'Wally the whale' as it has now affectionately been dubbed , rather that I am appalled by the media frenzy which a lot of people get carried away on , which forces other important isues onto the back burner. I am equally appalled by how mankind treat each other and noted that some of the posts had degenerated into a slanging match. Let us not forget as well though that not all so called 'animal lovers' are without blame. Remember the certain animal rights group who were responsible for putting glass in jars of baby food ? I jumped in when things were getting heated between two ABers to point out that things were already getting blown out of all proportion.

[enigma]

Part 2 : You seem to be somewhat irritated that certain people deviated from your original question of ...'Is anyone sad ..?' If you wanted a debate then you have to respect other people's right to a difference of opinion , otherwise you might have been better entitling your question 'Does anyone agree that the whale dying in the Thames was sad ? If yes , hop on board and if no , please skip to the next question.'

Oxford dictionary definition of Discussion - Examine by argument.

That would infer that you would not receive closed answers to your question. If this is what you wanted then you might have been better starting a poll. If you did not wish for a debate , then that could be construed as 'chat' and that's a no no ... apparently. Quite frankly , I couldn't care less if you rated my answers or not as this is of no consequence to me. I give my opinion as I see fit , in accordance with the answerbank guidelines (To the best of my ability) and if you wish to award stars to those who agree with your every word , then that of course is your prerogitive to do so.

My reference to Princess Diana whose made to reinforce my belief in the afore mentioned media frenzy. A lot of people get swept away in stories like this and I was drawing a comparison to the poor Princess royal who still can not be allowed to rest in peace , so therefore , I feel justified in making this point and make no apologies for doing so. Incidentally , I am curious to know why you didn't feel the need to jump in to appease the warring situation between Shaneystar and Sako but could speak tirelessly about a whale when you say that you care for your fellow man. I welcome your comments

[Englishbird]

Good Lordy enigma, is this a dose of paranoia or egocentricity? At no point did I mention you or anything you'd specifically written.

It wasn't, in fact, your posts that had irritated me.

However, seeing as you seem to want me to take exception to something you have written, I shall .... the 'importance of the sanctity of mankind'

This is purely an opinion, based on a theory of a god. I hold no illusions of the divine amongst mankind. I find us to be inherently destructive, a manipulating and selfish species. Which is why my thoughts and concerns often lie with the animal kingdom, the depleting rainforests and the polluted seas.

Whilst I believe you were directing the question at maggie, I for one did not feel the need to step in to the previous argument because I felt that Sako's comments were solely aimed at winding people up, and that Shaneystar could hold her own.

[maggie01]

It was going along nicely until El D obviously thought it was a bit tame. Some people like to wind others up. The only reason I asked the question, and it was a question not so much a debate, was that sheffwed 39 has posted this making it more of a statement. They were obviously sad at what had happened and they were told this is not a question and they were quite rude in my opinion, so I decided to ask the same question. I am sorry if I offended anyone but as I said, I live for today. What news affects me today I deal with. Tomorrow something else will happen and I will deal with my feelings on that subject. I thought people would have shown a lot more compassion to the whale but obviously my love of animals and creatures to not apply to everyone and I understand that.

[maggie01]

Just to add the reason I did not jump in when Shaneystar and Sako were warring as you put it was that they were two adults voicing their opinions and could speak for themselves.

The reason I spoke tirelessly about the Whale. It could not speak for itself.

[sako 243]

amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[stevie_c2it]

Oddly enough I thought EL D's answer was a well written thoughtful reply.

Not simply trying to 'wind others up'.

However, regardless I couldn't have put it better.

[maggie01]

Your entitled to your opinion Stevie. Have a good day!

[pat2936]

Very very sad, it is one of God's creature's, it would be a sin not to help any animal in distress. All animals should be treated in a humane way.

[pat2936]

It is very sad, we should always help any animal in distress, after all they are God's creature's too.

[pat2936]

sorry didn't mean to submit twice!

[enigma]

Englishbird - Neither paranoia nor egocentricity. I was of course referring to your remark about comments being made about 'abused children' and the fact that you had said that any suggestion that you were 'wrong' to feel the way you do was intolerable. I could find no such suggestion in ANY post that you were wrong in your feelings personally. The fact that I had been the only person to mention more dominant headlines (In my opinion) such as abused children specifically and having been picked up by Maggie on the fact that I mentioned poor Princess Diana as an example of how the media whip people up into a frenzy , perhaps in hindsight I was a tad over-sensitive whilst reading your answer - although my answer was not largely directed at you. Perhaps I took exception to the fact that I spent time carefully deliberating my answer before delivering it as others had done , only to be shot down in flames. It seems to me that the main problem here as far as I am aware is not only that I do not hold the whale in as high regard (much as it is sad) as the originator of the question but that I dared to deviate from the question itself , drawing comparisons and offering a little of my own input. As for my remark about the 'sanctity of mankind' - You have your opinion and I have mine. I could spend all day debating religion with you but it would be futile and I run the risk of causing further upset to Maggie by straying further from her original question. I respect your right to a difference of opinion so let us just agree to differ.