What's your initial response to "burn it with fire"

[TheInv4sion]

Ok, I can see that. Maybe for spreading diseases mosquitoes just deserve a little killing. But house flies and other 'pests' don't all spread diseases. We kill them just the same and don't feel any guilt when we do so. We use zap lights, sprays, other animals etc. to get rid of what we perceive as pests with no remorse regardless of the methods used for their eradication. So if they perceive tarantulas as pests why would 'Kill them with fire' be any different then 'Zap them with electricity'?

I was helping my Mom in the garden once when I was a kid. We were weeding a beet bed and I didn't understand why some of the plants were 'good' and some were 'weeds'. So I asked her how she decided which plants were which. She said, "The weeds are plants that are not where we want them to be. No plants are inherently bad but when they are growing counter to what we want then they are weeds". She also noted that what is a weed to one person can be a good plant to another. It is how we perceive and add value to them that makes them one or the other to us.

Again, I don't advocate torturing any animal for fun or otherwise. I also don't think everyone is going to place the same value on the same things. We all assign a lot of value to our tarantulas so they matter more to us. You said "It is morally reprehensible to kill for the sole intention of torturing an animal" and that is true. If they bug zapped a tarantula quickly would that be acceptable? If they didn't have a torturing intent and just wanted the pest gone how is that different then wanting the dreaded house fly gone? Again, if we have no problem with 'Zap them with electricity' then can we complain about "Kill them with fire'?

In my defense I don't kill house flies. I just cuss at it when it buzzes in my ear or accidentally bumps into me :X

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Unfortunately I know from experience that some people will talk a big game about killing giant spiders until they realize they have to get up close and personal with them to do it. That tough talk changes real quick then! Not to mention, many who haven't had the pleasure of being in the company of a tarantula don't realize just how big they really are!

 

[Tenevanica]

Not to mention, many who haven't had the pleasure of being in the company of a tarantula don't realize just how big they really are!

No joke! "Yes, there really are tarantulas with 10 inch leg spans. Good luck!" Seriously, I once had a guy try to tell me that tarantula sizes are always exaggerated, and that the largest spider in the world only has a 2 inch leg span. I'm glad he wasn't fear-mongering, but he clearly hasn't seen one in person.

As for the rest of the thread, I feel bad whenever I hurt anything. I about cried when I accidentally ran over a snake with a lawnmower, and I die a little bit inside when someone smashes a roach. It makes sense to me why a person would kill an animal for a utilitarian purpose, like for food, product, or even because the animal is a potential threat. That makes some moral and evolutionary sense. To kill a harmless spider, beetle, or roach simply because you don't "like them" is a bit cruel though. I don't understand how people can't feel bad about killing something. Life is precious. We need to do what we can to preserve every little bit of it, because it doesn't last for long.

 

[Venom1080]

No joke! "Yes, there really are tarantulas with 10 inch leg spans. Good luck!" Seriously, I once had a guy try to tell me that tarantula sizes are always exaggerated, and that the largest spider in the world only has a 2 inch leg span. I'm glad he wasn't fear-mongering, but he clearly hasn't seen one in person.

As for the rest of the thread, I feel bad whenever I hurt anything. I about cried when I accidentally ran over a snake with a lawnmower, and I die a little bit inside when someone smashes a roach. It makes sense to me why a person would kill an animal for a utilitarian purpose, like for food, product, or even because the animal is a potential threat. That makes some moral and evolutionary sense. To kill a harmless spider, beetle, or roach simply because you don't "like them" is a bit cruel though. I don't understand how people can't feel bad about killing something. Life is precious. We need to do what we can to preserve every little bit of it, because it doesn't last for long.

what about swatting flys?

 

[BobBarley]

As for the rest of the thread, I feel bad whenever I hurt anything. I about cried when I accidentally ran over a snake with a lawnmower, and I die a little bit inside when someone smashes a roach. It makes sense to me why a person would kill an animal for a utilitarian purpose, like for food, product, or even because the animal is a potential threat. That makes some moral and evolutionary sense. To kill a harmless spider, beetle, or roach simply because you don't "like them" is a bit cruel though. I don't understand how people can't feel bad about killing something. Life is precious. We need to do what we can to preserve every little bit of it, because it doesn't last for long.

Man I feel you! There are so many times I see people (mostly my fellow students) look at what is clearly a black beetle/jumping spider/anything-black-that-crawls and yell "BLACK WIDOW" and smash it dead. I hate that!

 

[Tenevanica]

what about swatting flys?

I don't do it, but I know some people live in areas with disease spreading and biting flies. At that point it may be of the utilitarian category to kill those.

 

[BobBarley]

I don't do it, but I know some people live in areas with disease spreading and biting flies. At that point it may be of the utilitarian category to kill those.

I have a huge net that's mostly used for collecting and stuff. But when there's a fly in the house, I catch it and let it go outside.

 

[Estein]

As an environmental educator, I often get students who are in some way or another unfamiliar with some of the less traditionally beautiful aspects of The Great Outdoors. They might be very young, from the urban areas, or uninformed; often, they are quick to be disgusted by arthropods, snakes, fish, frogs, etc. For me, it's a matter of exposing, educating, and meeting the kids halfway. Sometimes they go away with a newfound appreciation; sometimes it's just a stepping stone. Ultimately, I tell them it's okay to not love--or even like--these critters as long as there is an understanding of why they are important.

What does get my goat is when people slam Ts that they know are pets. I've had several friends post photos of my G. porteri after being exposed to her as their first tarantula experience only to have some friends of theirs say, "If I saw that thing, I'd kill it." Come on, man, they clearly said this is a pet tarantula. Why would you say you want to kill anyone's pet? But I don't reply because I don't know them and I have no interest in starting something.

 

[Ceymann]

I just write it off as ignorance and go on with life, but yeah to some people our T's are close to our hearts and its offensive. I try not to dwell on peoples negative actions, their words don't need to ruin my well being. There is a saying "Being angry at someone is like you drinking poison expecting them to die"

 

[truecreature]

A little late to the party, but my go-to response is usually something along the lines of "Hey, I don't appreciate jokes about killing my pets". If that doesn't make it click for them that what they're saying isn't okay, then I just wipe my hands of them because it's not worth the argument.

 

[hennibbale]

My initial response is anger. Like I would knock you out if you got within a mile radius of my little sweetheart.
Weird thing is I used to have arachnophobia, and I used to be okay with comments such as these. This was 8 years ago, I have been overcoming it since. First by educating myself, "men fear what they don't understand". Then I directly confronted my fear, and wind forward and I'm a tarantula keeper myself with a burning love for my T, just as if it were my pet dog or cat. I am sure I'm not the only one feeling this way towards their T, but 8 years ago I'd think it's weird anyone could not only tolerate T's, but love a T to that extent.
So talk about your T's guys, are they just an arachnid to you or are they a part of the family?
PS: I own a gentle Euathlus Sp. Red that I handle almost every time I refill her water dish, because she climbs out of the enclosure and sometimes your hand is closer than the catch cup. I don't open her enclosure with the intention of handling her, I know they don't particularly enjoy it. Like say a dog would.

Well, I actually like these jokes.
Don't take it personally, it's just that people are scared of spiders and the "nope nope nope" is a meme, so the "kill it wih fire" comes after it.

 

[hennibbale]

Seriously though, why would you care?
Existence is meaningless, "an eternal void made by pain and suffering", and you want to spend your time (that's the most precious thing) being angry/whatever for this kind of reasons.
Just... have fun, try to make people happy and we'll all eventually die.