Since I started this Talk page and I get to edit everyone's stuff pretty soon, I have some sort of power over what goes on here. As such, I am going to pretend that whoever else comments will listen to what I say. I find it offensive and counter-productive to our conversation when we malign another person's comments by acting so incredulous as to be demeaning. There is a fine line between when criticism stops being constructive and sometimes we all (including myself) pass it. Eben is the benevolent monarch and he knows what he is doing, even though I question the effectiveness of some of the language he uses with his scary red text. If we are bemoaning the lack of empathy in the way we treat "other living things" we should at least be mindful of the fact that those other living things have feelings. We undermine the very purpose of this class when we scare people into silence, which is why some people never take a stab at joining the conversation. I Will edit your mean comments away. I AM THE MONARCH OF MY TALK PAGES AND MY TALK PAGES ARE FRIENDLY TALK PAGES :).

Nona: I disagree with your version of the facts (we can all edit, all the time - in fact I noticed you wanted a block quote and gave your comment the tag it needed to get there). That said, If my remarks gave unnecessary offence they were poorly crafted, and I never intended to scare anyone into silence. In fact I hope there will be some substantive response to what I've said because I am quite passionate about the ideas I've expressed. -- DRussellKraft - 02 Mar 2010

You're kidding, right? Like this guy? Why is it in our interest to perpetuate an idea of moral difference between ourselves and other living things? The argument should be even easier than just the difference between ourselves and other people. Do you even see why dropping those distinctions might be productive for us? I'm not sure you understood what Eben was getting at, and are blaming the method without understanding the message (something I've certainly also been guilty of in the same context). -- DRussellKraft - 01 Mar 2010