Finally – My Turn

I published on the LegalizeFerrets Facebook Group page the following:

I see Megan and the other ferret legalization group have ceased their legislative efforts. The deck is stacked against anyone in this endeavor. I think they might have had a little more success if they spent less effort attacking me personally and LegalizeFerrets.org in general.

We don’t have legalization but we do have a community. Ferret lovers need to stick together – and for all my ferret friends – I am grateful!

You can read Megan’s blog post here

And I got a few very ugly comments.

Megan had to cease efforts due to the negative reputation you have singlehandedly given the ferret community through your slimy, selfish, and outright rude behavior towards everyone. Don’t you DARE act as if you are a saint. She did more for ferret legalization in 6 months than you have in the decades that you have been attacking politicians for. You only care about your own popularity and being seen as the “savior” for the ferret rights movement more than actual legalization itself. If you really cared about the ferrets, you would be mourning the loss of another group to help legalization rather than cheer against what you consider “opposition.” You’ve never been on the side of the ferrets, only your own selfish endeavors.

R C

Grow up. She’s had more success than you have and the only person I see getting attacked is Megan.
Seriously grow up. You can’t handle someone having more success than you. Shame.

Oh and not to mention that you are the reason why ferret owners are seen as badly as anti vaxxers….

How old are you? Because you literally act like a middle schooler.

I’m so sick and tired of seeing you slander Megan for trying to do the SAME THING that you’re trying to do.

Lindsey Clark

 It is amazing that one clown, attempting to remain relevant in California politics, has caused so much damage to the cause.

Comment left on the blog page

I’ve been watching Megan’s efforts very closely. I admit, one morbid reason, it’s like having my own personal hate club.

I take no satisfaction in the United California Ferret Alliance ceasing their legislative efforts. I didn’t expect them to be successful only because they will hit the same wall we did. The Legislature has made up their mind, as things are now, none of them will sponsor a bill. I am surprised they gave up so easily.

At first I admired Megan’s efforts. But then I was told – and quoting from their website:

Our first order of business is to assure our legislators that we are not affiliated with that group when they bring them up.

And watching Megan in action, she spent about half her time disparaging me. I saw her at the most recent Fish and Game Commission meeting, October 9^th in Valley Center. Four members of the group spent six hours on the road to oppose our request to have ferrets classified as domestic animals. What did she tell the Commission:

Progress will never be made as long as aggressors and agitators continue to hurt the movement.  It is time for one respected voice to represent ferrets if we truly want to amend the ban.

I have reached out to Megan. I have called and emailed. “Let’s end the acrimony,” I said. She told me she would not return calls or emails, and that she was physically afraid of me.

But she wasn’t always that way. She worked with me right up to the point where she hated me.

Here is a video she made for us, which I really appreciated.

Then suddenly – the hostility shows up. She tells people I’ve harassed and stalked legislators. Nothing to back it up – and to my surprise people believe her. When I asked Reanna she answered:

i’m not at liberty to discuss what Megan has shared with me, but there are multiple comments you have made that have been hurtful.

Let me be clear:

I have never stalked, threatened or insulted a legislator nor their staff. I have expressed frustration and disappointment, and that’s ok.

A Little Background.

Critics here say I’m all about ego. I’m about Liberty.

I am a Libertarian. An Ayn Rand reading Objectivist who has great distrust of the government and people in power.

I grew up in the Vietnam war era. What possible benefit was that war to anyone? It was a benefit to Bell Helicopters and others who gave money to congressmen who voted to keep the war going.

President Richard Nixon kept the war going to aid his election in 1968

I could go on, but I won’t. Suffice it to say I consider myself a social justice advocate.

Fast forward to 1987’sh – and I get my first ferret, Chester. My god – he was the greatest pet ever. I still carry his picture in my wallet.

And so I want to get involved in the ferret legalization effort. How can I help? I asked the ferret legalization people at the time? “Find a legislator” was the answer.

I went to every San Diego area legislator and got kicked out of all their offices.

Finally, I went to Senator Lucy Kilea. She had helped the local Libertarian Party collect refunds from an illegal sales tax. She told me that they had more important issues and not enough people were interested in the issue. Without thinking I asked what if we had a rally outside her office and showed her people cared. (You can read the LA Times story here.)

Shit, no plans on how to do that. So I asked my vet, Dr Jenkins, who still treats ferrets and my friends in the local Libertarian Party to help. Over 50 people showed up and the rally was a big success with radio and newspaper coverage. I passed out note cards asking for people’s contact info and called a meeting.

Down the hall was a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. People kept coming into our meeting, looking confused and asking if this was Narcotics Anonymous. Finally, someone said, “no, this is Ferrets Anonymous!”

The rest is history.

Shortly thereafter, at a Libertarian Dinner club I organized, John Walner rhetorically asked Assemblyman Jan Goldsmith if he would introduce a ferret legalization bill, and to my complete surprise, Jan Goldsmith said “yes.”

The bill died because Assembly Democrats were mad at Assemblyman Goldsmith on another issue – and that is how politics works in California.

To sum it up – I’m proud of the work I’ve done for Ferret Legalization. It has not been successful, but it has been right. I’ve made a lot of mistakes but I’ve learned from them and kept going.

And for those who call me slimy, clown – or in one case that everyone hates me and wish I were dead – well, you are what Hillary Clinton calls a “basket of deplorables.”

Those who respectfully disagree with me and say so in an adult manner to my face. Thank you. I hear you.

Now to continue the efforts. Ferret legalization is not rocket science. Our pets are domestic and we have a right to own them. Simple as that.