I received an email today from a fellow pet lover who belongs to an email group that describes itself as
a group of dedicated individuals who are known in their communities for helping animals in need. This group is for dogs and cats needing a permanent home. Our members are active dog & cat rescuers...
Seems like anyone belonging to this group would denounce Frist's activities as a med student, right? Read on.
Here is the text of the email I received:
Ok, here we go - I've got a conversation tomorrow with Frist's publicist to talk about how we can spin this negative publicity on him being the "kitty killer" for his research back 30 years ago when he was at Harvard. Please send up prayers that his folks will be interested in correcting this misstep of his youth by starting at HOME here in Middle Tennessee with the shelters. Deanna Treisch has recommended a big Spay Neuter campaign in billboards across mid-tenn. Great idea. Mary Andrews with NCR has suggested he add a wing to the FRIST CENTER for a Cat Museum like the one they have in Europe.
Please, instead of naysayers jumping on the bandwagon with how mad they are at him for doing research on innocent animals, let's jump to it and get Senator Frist to turn things around by being an advocate for them now that he "knows better". That's what I've learned - WHEN WE KNEW BETTER, WE DID BETTER.
Ideas are welcome...
Did you get that?? They're trying to find a way to
spin his being a "kitty killer." Frist's
publicist is actually holding meetings with animal activists to work on
spinning this episode. Not only will they try to get us to believe that he now "knows better," but that he's seen the light and is now an advocate for animals. Can you believe that??!! Well, of course not! I sent the following response directly to the person who posted this (I didn't post a response to the discussion group because I do not belong to the group and posts are restricted to group members).
Your message was forwarded to me by a member of the Help-MidTNAnimals Yahoo group. I don't think you quite understand why the average person is repulsed by and hates what Frist did with kittens. He is a man of privilege, who has an absurd sense of entitlement. It seems that all he "knows better" now is how bad it looked -- not how bad it actually was.
It is not the act of killing kittens, alone, that people find vile. There are many places that provide animals for laboratory research -- and with his family's money he could easily have afforded to go that route. Instead, he lied about his motives and adopted kittens from agencies that were attempting to place them in good homes. The agencies acted in good faith. He did not. THAT is what makes him unfit to serve our country, THAT is what makes him undeserving of the public trust, THAT is what is revealed of his moral fiber.
To suggest that he "turn things around" by posing as an advocate for pets is deceitful. I'm stunned that anyone who truly cares for animals would try to spin this in some positive light.
It may seem like a small thing, but, as I said above, it cuts to his moral fiber. Of course people who hurt innocent animals are lacking in some very basic human qualities. But his actions goes beyond that. He was and continues to be deceitful about that episode -- and you can be sure if there is one thing about which he is deceitful, there are many.
Stay strong!