Things that make you know you're doing something right.

[binky]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I'd just written this long post for here and i lost it. What a dick. Anyway, Aden got in trouble at school the other day for 'man handling' another student who had killed a slug. He's written a statement for his teacher whom I have a meeting with this afternoon after school.

This is the statement:

As an advocate of animal rights I believe all animals should have a right to live, not die how we choose they should die. I love animals even the small types of animals like a slug or an insect. They don't have a voice so we should speak for them. We could have killed the slug then and there but we all decided we should let it go. It's horrible to kill a living creature...it's just like killing a human being only its smaller and it can’t speak for itself. I want to be a vet so I can help animals like that if they can be helped. When I see someone trying to kill something like a plover or its babies I get so angry and don’t think before I act.
Would you like it if you were an animal, with no way out, getting something thrown at you or wacked with a stick? I sure wouldn't. One time when I was in Samoa we found a puppy with maggots in it and it just made me cry and as soon as we could we put it out of its misery...That is one time you can kill a living creature, when it has no chance of survival.
I realize now that violence was not the best way of dealing with this situation, even though I was really upset. I don’t think it’s fair that Kodi and Caleb should get away with killing a living creature even if it was ‘just a slug’. I think it would be better for them if they learned how important all our animals are and why we should protect them instead of killing them.
I’m sorry if I harmed them. I know now that my actions made me just as bad as them and I am ashamed of losing my temper. I intend to work on this from now on and I’m going to do some research on how to peacefully get my message across in future using words and actions rather than my strength to overpower others.

When my middle daughter was 7, I accidentally ran over a snail with her sister's stroller. We were on the way to school, and in a hurry, She was VERY upset, told me I had murdered the snail. I said nope, an accident, so only snailslaughter.

[Aliantha]

What a nasty mum. lol

[monster]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I'd just written this long post for here and i lost it. What a dick. Anyway, Aden got in trouble at school the other day for 'man handling' another student who had killed a slug. He's written a statement for his teacher whom I have a meeting with this afternoon after school.

This is the statement:

As an advocate of animal rights I believe all animals should have a right to live, not die how we choose they should die. I love animals even the small types of animals like a slug or an insect. They don't have a voice so we should speak for them. We could have killed the slug then and there but we all decided we should let it go. It's horrible to kill a living creature...it's just like killing a human being only its smaller and it can’t speak for itself. I want to be a vet so I can help animals like that if they can be helped. When I see someone trying to kill something like a plover or its babies I get so angry and don’t think before I act.
Would you like it if you were an animal, with no way out, getting something thrown at you or wacked with a stick? I sure wouldn't. One time when I was in Samoa we found a puppy with maggots in it and it just made me cry and as soon as we could we put it out of its misery...That is one time you can kill a living creature, when it has no chance of survival.
I realize now that violence was not the best way of dealing with this situation, even though I was really upset. I don’t think it’s fair that Kodi and Caleb should get away with killing a living creature even if it was ‘just a slug’. I think it would be better for them if they learned how important all our animals are and why we should protect them instead of killing them.
I’m sorry if I harmed them. I know now that my actions made me just as bad as them and I am ashamed of losing my temper. I intend to work on this from now on and I’m going to do some research on how to peacefully get my message across in future using words and actions rather than my strength to overpower others.

Y'see I think this is great, but not because it shows what a nice, compassionate individual he is, but more because he's got the whole excuse/sob-story/get-out-of-jail-free thing pegged.

[ZenGum]

He has to learn how to weasel out of things. Its what sets mankind apart from the animals. Except weasels.

[Treasenuak]

Yes... weasels are the expert at weaseling. Perhaps he should take a few lessons just to polish off his technique?

[Aliantha]

Believe it or not, he was sincere with what he wrote. His teacher even noted that she felt he wasn't just saying what they wanted to hear in order to get out of further punishment/disciplinary action.

I guess it's hard for some people to believe that other people's kids have a conscience though. I'm just glad my sons both appear to have one.

[dar512]

It's all about sincerity.




Learn to fake that and you've got it made.

-- George Burns

[Aliantha]

Well the interesting thing is he hasn't complained about his detentions. He's taken them on the chin.

I admire him for that.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I guess it's hard for some people to believe that other people's kids have a conscience though. I'm just glad my sons both appear to have one.

Ali I don't think people really believe that - but it's just such a perfect answer, it's fun to assume it had an ulterior motive.

I have to say that the only time in my life I had detention I was let off by the Headmaster. Why? Well I hadn't done my homework. For the second or third week running. I was set "in school" detention (most common at my school as children travelled home all over the county on special buses). I had to give up 40 minutes of my lunch hour, and a desk was set for me right outside the staff room.

Then the Head came past and couldn't believe I was in detention. He knew me from the school play, the carol concert and the athletics team. He asked if I had finished the work I had been set (I had) and then set me free. So what it taught me was the age old proverb - it's not what you've done, it's who likes me. Or something like that.

The sad thing was, it was English Lit, which I loved. And Ms Knox, who everyone else loved. I just didn't like how she tried to make English accessible! and fun! I didn't want fun, I wanted serious books and books about books and poetry, and books about poetry, and poetry about books. Not bloody Adrian Mole. And yet at the end of the year she was so very nice to me when I left her class. Ah well.

[Aliantha]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

Ali I don't think people really believe that - but it's just such a perfect answer, it's fun to assume it had an ulterior motive.

Well it'd be a shame if my son happened to read that people would prefer to think the worst when he's trying to do his best.

Also, it's not so much that the comment was made. It's the person who decided it'd be funny to do so in the first place. It's pretty hard for me to believe that it came from the 'goodness of her heart' and not just her taking an opportunity to be nasty once again.

Such is life. Some things never change.

[binky]

I do believe he cares for animals, of all sorts, because my daughter does too.The same year asthe snailslaughter incident, she was nearly late for school one day, rescuing earthworms that had washed into the street during a rainstorm.

[ZenGum]

It is easy to be compassionate about puppies and kittens. Caring about slugs and worms is a much higher degree of compassion, IMHO.

[monster]

what about headlice

[ZenGum]

There's an ethical dilemma for you. I am a (non-strict) vegetarian, but I kill mosquitoes. I figure self defence counts.

In highschool, one lunchtime a bunch of us were sitting on the lawn, and we noticed a spider and started looking at it. one bratty lad leaped into the circle and stomped on it.
Cue a ten-person beatdown. Not enough to do him actual injury, but plenty enough to express strong social disapproval for this act. It was so crowded it was all I could do to land a few punches on his back.

[Sundae]

My Aunt & Uncle came over to visit from Australia about 11 years ago, bringing my young cousin. It coincided with my nephew's baptism, which was nice.

The party was held at my sister's MIL's house, and as things were quite crowded a group of us were stood in the front garden, eating cardboard sandwiches and drinking warm white wine.

Mum spotted a ladybird on a rose bush, and pointed it out to Hannah, expecting her to be delighted, and say, "Ladybird, ladybird fly away home..." and make a wish or some such girly nonsense. No. Mum obviously sent a mixed message about what action was expected.
"Where?" she cried eagerly, "I'll kill it! I'll kill it!" Obviously worried that someone else was going to horn in on her stomping rights.

Of course at the time I wrote it off as the difference between Australian and British wildlife, in that ours rarely kills. I assumed all Australian children had the instinctive reaction to squish first and ask questions later. Now I find out it is not a national trait, so I can only assume she's a sociopath. Which will be interesting when she visits next year!