Peanuts fed to squirrels put allergic daughter at risk: Calgary mom

[Praxius]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/05/05/squirrels-peanuts.html

A Calgary mother is begging locals to stop feeding peanuts to squirrels, fearing her highly allergic daughter may come in contact with the discarded shells.

Marilyn Carey says she's seen peanut shells scattered on lawns and playgrounds throughout the city, dispersed by snacking squirrels.

"If you go walking, you'll always see peanuts in any neighbourhood," she told CBC News. Carey said she's terrified her five-year-old daughter Azura could accidentally touch a shell, triggering a potentially deadly reaction.

"It's not parents just being overprotective," Carey said. "It's scary when she has an anaphylactic reaction where she can't breathe."

Azura agrees: "If I eat peanuts and the ambulance doesn't come fast enough, I could die, and I don't want to die."

Parents, children, neighbours and teachers in the area are all on the lookout for the offending nuts. Carey said everyone has been supportive and stopped feeding the squirrels.

"I have to trust all the other parents and the school and the community to know and to be educated too, I guess," she said.

Lilly Byrtus, with the Allergy/Asthma Information Association in Edmonton, said the shells carried by squirrels could cause a reaction, but the chances are slim.

"Is it a possibility for a reaction? Yes, it is a possibility for a reaction. Is it as dangerous of a place to be exposed to peanuts? Probably not."

Yeah, sorry, but them's the breaks and I don't see what the entire world has to stop and make sure they don't eat peanuts, or feed peanuts or other nuts to animals or other people.... sorry, but they're not illegal and I'll eat them and feed them to whomever I damn well please.... and emotional appeal and trying to get the girl to tell everyone she doesn't want to die isn't going to change my views on this.

Don't go rolling around in peanut shells and you'll be fine..... sorry to be so insensitive but some people have things they have to look out for more in their lives then others and we can't always be watching everything we do to cover our own asses and also try to cover everyone else's ass at the same time.

And again, just because you're alergic to something doesn't mean I have to stop eating or using that thing. Until they make it illegal to have peanuts in your possession, I'm still going to eat them, and I'm still probably going to feed animals if I so choose to do so.

Life's cruel, get use to it.

 

[karrie]

This doesn't stop you from eating them.

What it does is asks you to refrain from littering the park (which belongs to the public), with something which could kill children (because boy, these allergies are on the rise, she's probably not the only one with this issue).

There's a difference there Praxius.

 

[Praxius]

This doesn't stop you from eating them.

What it does is asks you to refrain from littering the park (which belongs to the public), with something which could kill children (because boy, these allergies are on the rise, she's probably not the only one with this issue).

There's a difference there Praxius.

The squirrels are the one's littering the park with peanut shells, shall we start running around the parks after the squirrels to pickup after they're done eating or just stop feeding them peanuts all together? Then if we stop feeding them peanuts, what happens when another kid who's allergic to all nuts is in the park and then their parents complain that we shouldn't be feeding any and all nuts to squirrels because they're child might die..... What about children who have issues with yeast products? shall we just stop feeding all the animals everything all together because of the potiential that someone might be alergic to something and they might die?

Seriously this planet needs to get a grip on this pollitically correct garbage society thrown down our throats all the damn time.

Tell your kid not to be stupid and don't play with things they see on the ground and don't put things you find on the ground in your mouth and you'll do just fine, just like telling them not to go running around in poison ivy.

Either educate your children for their own good against society or put them in a plastic bubble.... I grew up with friends who were allergic to peanuts, bees/hornets, had asthma and all sorts of other things..... they're still alive today, they're doing just fine and nobody in society or the government needed to pass laws and restrictions on the rest of everybody else to protect them when it comes to public areas of recreation.

I like peanuts and the squirrels do too.... it's a free world and we'll eat them as we please until someone get's all uppity and starts throwing laws left, right and centre telling us we can't eat them anymore.

I've got my own disabilities I could be bitching and complaining about to others and try and demand that everybody mind me and make sure they don't do something that might pose a danger or health risk to me, but it is not my place to do so, nor is it anybody else's. I've learned to avoid situations and environments where my health might be at risk and I acomidated my life to suit my own needs and I'm not about to try and rely on other's to accomidate me..... nor should I expect them to tell me what I can and can not do.

Once again, tell your kid not to play around in peanut shells at the park and treat them like poison ivy or something and there won't be a problem.

Who are you going to sue if the kid dies from peanut shells lying around at a park, or down along the sidewalk, or anywhere for that matter?

The City/Town?

Good luck with that one, cuz chances are that'll get thrown back to bad parenting or the parents not paying proper attention to their children and the responsibility will be quickly thrown back on them.

 

[Praxius]

And perhaps people should start looking into the reasons why there is an increase in the population in regards to being allergic to peanuts.

Rather then just continually trying to accomidate the problem, why not try and figure out a solution?

 

[Praxius]

Just to bombard even further on this debate:

".....Marilyn Carey says she's seen peanut shells scattered on lawns and playgrounds throughout the city, dispersed by snacking squirrels."

^ so it's not just parks she's trying to get everybody to change their ways with, but also what's on other people's lawns, playgrounds and other places throughout the city in which she lives in..... dispersed by snacking squirrels at that.

"If you go walking, you'll always see peanuts in any neighbourhood," she told CBC News. Carey said she's terrified her five-year-old daughter Azura could accidentally touch a shell, triggering a potentially deadly reaction."

^ Well holy hell, welcome to the problems every other parent faces on an everyday basis with a child allergic to something.... get used to it.

and the big point:

"Lilly Byrtus, with the Allergy/Asthma Information Association in Edmonton, said the shells carried by squirrels could cause a reaction, but the chances are slim.

"Is it a possibility for a reaction? Yes, it is a possibility for a reaction. Is it as dangerous of a place to be exposed to peanuts? Probably not."

^ For the amount of work and stink she's putting up for something like this and based on expert views on this matter, the chances of her daughter dieing from scattered peanut shells around her neighborhood or elsewhere around the planet are slim.... and thus, over reacting if you ask me.

Nobody is going to allow themselves to be forced to clean up their own private lawns/yards of peanut shells and other potientially allergic-reactive based items just to suit some kid who shouldn't be on their property in the first place, and what this parent is trying to get everybody to do is just plain over reacting and foolish.

It's far more easier to educate your child and make sure they are prepared for the problems they will face in their lives then it is to try and make sure the rest of the world bends over backwards for her needs.

In a nut shell (pun intended) I have no problems with peanuts or anything else in relation to allergies or being allergic, nor does anybody else in my family and if my family and myself do not have to completely change our way of life to suit the needs of a select few, then we shouldn't.

Hell, we all might as well bend over backwards for Vegans while we're at it.

Be aware that others do not have the same problems as you do and be aware that they do not have to live as you do and all should be fine.

This woman can try and make peanuts illegal and ban the possession of peanuts and other nut related food/based products or she can suck it up and deal with life. If she decides to try and fight to make peanuts illegal, then I'll be right there to fight it.... this is just insanity, people need to get a friggin grip on life and stop trying to force the rest of the world to confirm to what they think is right or what suits them, just because they think they're special.

Survival of the Fittest. Either be fit, adapt, or die.