i'm all for people being anti-establishment, for them being critical and not simply believing everything that's told to them by "authorities". there's value in the mindset, and i believe it's incumbent upon people to weigh their options, to make an informed decision, and to act. responsibly.
most of us don't need to be told what that means.
for example, i could take a real shine to lions after seeing a super-awesome video of a lion... i dunno, maybe roaring loudly or rolling around in the dirt. i could get it in my mind to buy a pride of lions to keep in my back yard.
you know, on account of how they're super-awesome.
assuming i didn't know anything about lions from the get-go, i might want some information about them - what do they eat, how much room do you need for them to be able to roar loudly and roll around in the dirt, can they be housebroken, that sort of thing. i might fire up my friend google for a search. "lions", i'd type into the search field, then sift through the results that weren't about football or community-service organizations.
well, shit. i didn't know they got that big.
and "apex predator" means they'll eat me. or my kids. or my neighbors. or my neighbors' kids. or all of us.
"but i *really* want a lion!" i might whimper. "they're, like, super-awesome!"
so, one more google search, this time "lions as pets". almost 17 million hits. i think i can discard most of the anecdotal evidence, good AND bad - i want the skinny from people who know about lions. lion experts.
the majority of the information coming from lion experts is, in simple terms, "you're better off with a house cat. they're nearly as troublesome, but mostly are unable to kill you/terrorize your neighborhood".
for me, that would be the end of my research, and i might go on to develop a semi-healthy obsession with lions.
the divergence from the *other* crowd would have started some time ago, maybe right after "i could take a real shine to lions....". and you know the *other* crowd i mean - they get it into their heads that they have it right, period. no amount of naysaying from Reasonable People or Contradictory Information From Experts can sway them.
the ones who found two "experts" who say owning lions is great, and the right of every free citizen.
the ones who KNOW that Big-[Profiting-Wildly-From-Lying-To-The-Sheeple-To-Prevent-Lion-Ownership] is engaged in an intricate, global coverup of the medicinal, physiological, and psychological benefits of owning multiple lions.
the ones with their fingers jammed in their ears, shrieking "lalalalalalala - i can't HEAR you!!!!" over and over.
i'd sadly give up my dreams of lion ownership, not only for my safety and that of my family, but also for the same of the community in which i live. pretty easy decision, that.
but for the *other* crowd, well... "none of your lies will change my mind! your so-called 'experts' are SHILLS, and i REFUSE TO BE ONE OF THE SHEEPLE! i'm getting those fucking lions, because IT'S MY RIGHT AND NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!"
all right, fine. you're one of *those* people. tell you what, though: if you and i both survive the events "Your Lion 'Unexpectedly' Breaking Free From Your 'Control' And Mauling Someone I Care About" and "Public Safety Officials Bringing An Escaped Lion To Heel", you'd better be ready for the back of your skull to meet my louisville slugger.
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