Gordon wrote:

> I suppose what disturbs me most is that you seem to have a low opinion of
> the amazing accomplishments of your own species. In my view humans are
> incredible, marvelous, almost miraculous creatures. As evidence I submit the
> momentous achievements of our species as we emerged from the animal kingdom
> almost to transcend it. I submit as evidence these awesome thinking speaking
> singing loving writing calculating worshipping painting composing flying
> dancing space-travelling god-like beings that we are today. You see this
> evidence but rather than celebrate your humanity you choose instead to
> complain of problems and bemoan our fate.
>
> -gts
>
Perhaps if you tried reading a little book called "The Story
of B" by Daniel Quinn you might better understand the point
so many folks here are trying to make.  No one's trying to
trash our species; that would be self-defeating.  We're
trying to protect this wonderful species that is Us.  It's
those of Us who believe that we are "god-like" and can
almost "transcend" the animal kingdom that really make Us
look bad.  (That sounds like some kind of religion to me.)
How do you know what our fate is?  If we're so god-like,
wouldn't we be able to chose whatever fate we wish?

>> Domesticated cats and dogs are probably among the
>> smartest of animals.
>> Would you claim that they too are attempting to "remove
>> themselves from
>> their source"? Or are they just very smart animals who
>> know better than to
>> refuse the luxury of riding along in life with the most
>> advanced species on
>> earth?
>>
>>
What is your definition of "advanced"?  Do you have any
documented proof that humans are the most "advanced" species
on earth?  If you do, whose guidelines are you using?  I get
a strong impression that you've never studied evolution.
Bacteria are advanced - they're diverse and they've
withstood the test of time.  We've only been here for mere
seconds on the geologic time scale. We're snuffing out our
diversity with media-borne monoculture.  If we are so
intellegent as you claim, we would be realizing that our
mellinia here are numbered if we continue our current path.
We would be doing something about it instead of
short-sightedly sitting around in air-conditioning that's
sucking the fresh air out of brains, replacing it with toxic
indoor pollutants, mezmerized by the propaganda that flashes
on our TV screens, saying, "Daaah, we're smarrrt!
Zzzzzz...."

And fortunately, there are many, many
instinctively-thinking, open-eyed people that have realized
it, including several on this list.  Like the small reptiles
leftover from the dinosaur extinction, I hope it's these
instinctively-thinking members of our species who are
leftover from our extinction.  It's their singing loving
writing calculating worshipping painting composing flying
dancing I would be interested in celebrating too, along with
their very educational ancient history.

Lois