Steve Irwin was a human being.

[graywarrior]

For crissakes.

[Deja Q]

1. How many human beings aren't?

He lived a full life and dying what he loved to do, with no fear or regret. We should all be so lucky.

[elocs]

10. He was a human being who liked to flirt with death and danger.

It is a shame that he died and left young children without a father. But he did live his life as he chose and died doing it and it was even captured on camera, which he also would have liked.
It sure did seem to the viewers that his behavior was reckless at times. I really expect him to lose an arm to a gator before actually being killed in an animal misadventure.

[WindRavenX]

2. I am this close to leaving DU over this

I am fucking disgusted. Here was a man who worked his entire life FOR THE FUCKING ENVIROMENT, one of the most neglected causes on the planet, and we have so called liberals pissing on his work.

Fuck. That.

[graywarrior]

5. Indeed. Just because he was over the top.

I thought that's what we admired around here.

[WindRavenX]

7. YUP

His passion is what made him a joy to watch-- he didn't just lecture people, he let them experience the joy that comes with being intimate with nature.

Some people can't get that through their fucking skulls.

[demobabe]

26. Yeah, we do admire people who go over the top

But I look at Steve Irwin... he did do a lot for awareness and conservation.

But now his babies don't have a dad, and they'll never get to know him other than through videotape...

If you had young children, would you put your life on the line like that?

I certainly don't want my young son behaving around animals the way he did. Kids emulate what the adults do...

I'm sad too, but over the top isn't always all it's cut out to be.

[cboy4]

42. So what are you going to do? Tell police officers to quit because they

may get shot.....or firefighters to quit because a roof may collapse on them, or tell utility workers to quit because they may get electrocuted, or tell window washers to quit because their scaffolding may fail on the 50th story of a skyscraper?

Herpetology is a career field. You study poisonous snakes and other reptiles. It's a dangerous job.

[Realityhack]

47. To be fair...

He often took unnecisary risks. Many that seemed to be for the camera. There are dozens of shows where you see serious scientists dealing with wild animals, his definately had a diffrent attitude about it.

But nobody is perfect and I feel sorry for his family.

-- On edit --

It should also be noted that it appears he did nothing wrong that lead to his death. Just a freak accident.

[WinkyDink]

64. TWO Australians dead from sting-rays in 50 years. HARDLY a risk

worth agonizing over taking.

[Realityhack]

85. umm...

that wasn't the risk I was talking about. As I beleive I said this was a situation inwhich he did nothing wrong.

[demobabe]

52. Yes! You're right!

I'm a herper myself. You might have seen my herps in movies or on Jay Leno.

I have a nice scar on my finger where I got opened up once by my big boy iguana who didn't like those neon yellow gloves I was wearing one day.

Dealing with wild animals is dangerous. Dealing with them in the fashion Steve Irwin did is especially dangerous. And he has a choice of professions - this is what he chose. I never said he shouldn't have been doing what he was doing, only that I disagreed with what he was teaching children in that it children might want to emulate his dangerous stunts.

Reptiles are dangerous. You want to make sure you point the dangerous end AWAY from you, not AIM IT AT YOUR FACE or try to incite them to lunge at you like I often saw Steve Irwin do.

You don't need any extra danger when dealing with herps. There's enough to begin with, even with non-poisonous reptiles.

[Spiffarino]

79. I admire his courage.

He was foolhardy for sure. So are most people who try to make a big difference in the world.

The founders of our country were under constant threat of death from the most powerful country on earth. Chico Mendes worked to save the Amazon rainforest and it cost him his life. There are others whose names we may never know who work with passion and fervor doing what they love and trying to make a difference. If they'd been more careful they would have lived easy, peaceful lives. They chose a harder path.

Steve Irwin may not have been one of the elite "doers" in this world, but he got our attention and made us look at the "ugly" side of nature in a new way. He may have been outrageous and even crazy, but he made a difference.

JFK said it best when he spoke of landing an American on the Moon: "We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard."

We need more Steves.

[OzarkDem]

14. Don't fall for it

There are probably some people posting this garbage for that very reason, to disrupt the forum and get people to leave.

Don't give them the satisfaction. Hoepfully we can encourage DU to find some mods who are willing to enforce the rules around here. Not sure what the problem is this weekend.

[graywarrior]

17. I'm gonna bail out for awhile.

Too much self sabotage going on. Why now, so close to elections?

[OzarkDem]

24. Good question, why now?

We should be much more united than we are now.

[Spiffarino]

80. Yes, good question. In fact, it's the right question. n/t

[InvisibleTouch]

16. Yeah, I know how you feel...

...but objectively, it's an obnoxious minority that are doing it. A few, unbelievably, are trying to tell people whether or how to grieve! The mere fact that there were many other unfortunate deaths today, as there are every day, doesn't mean Irwin's admirers don't or shouldn't feel as we feel - and dismissing and disdaining those feelings is simply the height of arrogance. But most of the posts I've seen are sad and/or sympathetic and respectful. I've even seen some that acknowledged a new respect for the guy, after learning about all his conservation efforts. In a group this large, there will always be a few who just don't get it, whether by accident or design. Don't let them run you off.

[a la izquierda]

18. Thank you so much...

I totally needed to read that today. The care he felt for people and animals is so important. Yes, people all over the world died today, soldiers, civilians, etc. Are people sad about that? Absolutely. But the world visible advocate for animals and the environment, two things that need our respect and protection. Was he a little nuts? Probably. Did he get millions of people to hear his message? For sure, which is a lot more than can be said about 95% of the population.

[pitohui]

19. ignore the shit stirrers

we would all love to have accomplished what he accomplished in his all too brief life

[Telly Savalas]

20. Please bear this in mind...

Several classes of people:

1. Professional whiners
2. "Guvmint bad" people
3. The U.N. Black Helicopters watchers

will all leave DU once the Democrats take back Washington. There are folks who like to gripe about whoever is in charge. Right now, the GOP is running things, so these contrarians happen to be hanging out with the liberals for the time being. Please be patient. If people like you leave the noise-to-signal ratio around here will just get worse.

[senseandsensibility]

22. This issue is bothering me also.

I haven't read any of the threads because I don't want to get ###@@**ed off. But I've noticed that nasty attitudes and extremely selfish narrow minded comments abound on DU at the moment. It's hard to deal with, and I may have to take a break from DU.

[Beausoir]

28. I am about to be tombstoned over this.

I'm not putting up with this shit any more.

These sick fucks who are destroying this site.

These fucking pigs who tap dance over the death of every single human being.

I am done looking the other way.

The enemy is here.

[WindRavenX]

30. "the enemy is here"

I agree.

He did enviromental work and informed the public-- if that isn't good enough for some people, then what the fuck is???

[symbolman]

50. I do environmental work

I have fought the Bush administration for 5 years now at Takebackthemedia.com and done a lot of damage, dozens of political message Flash works there.

I lived in Alaska for ten years, flew in Helicopters for two summers looking for Uranium for the DOE, and while in the air one day watched a caribou migration where they stretched from Horizon to horizon at about 200 mph, in tundra flat as a pancake. The entire earth was ALIVE, I could see no ground, only caribou.

I've been nearly killed as a result by moose and a few grizzlies, so those are the animals that scared me.

I've lived in Hawaii and been involved with whales and turtles (who I've been invited to swim with but wouldn't, not through fear but so as not to DISTURB the animal) or cause them harm.

You haven't seen this guy's face with the camera behind some tiny lizard who's little heart is beating so fast he might just die of fear? You never saw that one?

That's grandstanding and showboating for money using animals as props. National Geographic uses people who use "blinds" so as NOT to DISTURB the animals.

All this guy did, and granted giving money to animal conservation is good, on tv that I saw was hassle animals.. like dragging a rattler out of a tree stump by the tail.. Would you like someone to drag you out of your CAR THROUGH the car WINDOW by your LEGS? It would be the same thing, that's hassling animals, and kid's might repeat that..

Now, you want to disagree with me, that's fine, but I'd appreciate it if people didn't call those that disagree with them trolls, disruptors, etc for an OPINION on a DISCUSSION board.

Why do people on this board ATTACK instead of DISAGREE?

Thanks for your work with animals, I hope you are kinder to them than Irwin was, who I considered to be very nearly Cruel for the cameras. Sorry you disagree, but I won't be INSULTING YOU.

[WindRavenX]

53. we're just going to disagree then

Since you have done work, I take your words much more seriously than some whinner. We will disagree, then, on the amount of stress done to the animal, because IMO, I think people have differing views on this.

[symbolman]

62. Thanks

I don't even go to the Circus anymore, after finding out how mistreated some of the animals are I couldn't do it.

I quit fishing, because in Alaska you sometimes have to take a piece of wood and beat a fish to death on the shore in close quarters to bag it, or watching the rainbow disapear on a rainbow trout and the eyes dim.

No one thinks about all the horror the animals we Eat go through, when you go in the store someone has already killed them for you. I've had to kill to eat in Alaska, and I've been face to face with that animals death, that changes the way you think about plastic wrapped meat, sanitized death, and our responsibility as guardians of Nature.

They are as helpless against the corporations as we are.

[WindRavenX]

65. yeah, I try to tell people on how enviromentally bad meat is for you...

...but a lot of people don't care :shrug:

[symbolman]

68. My sister worked on the Exxon spill

cleaning birds, etc.. a LOT of People got SICK as hell from that..

This latest Typhoon here in the pacific nearly released 300 MILLION Gallons of fuel into the ocean from a Military base in Wake Island..

Yeah, there is important work to do.

Here's a short work I tossed together about Mountain Top Removal which my wife and I filmed in the Appalachians a few months ago.. they are BLOWING UP the Top of ALL the mountains, drowning towns, lethal chemicals, loss of Habitat.. looking for funding to get this to Redford, the man in this short NEEDS Redford to get his Face out there and STOP this..

So here's some of my environmental work, just to show folks, I'm not a heartless asshole, turn up your speakers, windows media:

http://www.tbtmradio.com/video/mtrgibson.wmv

[derby378]

39. Huh? Tombstone you for caring about your fellow man?

That can't be. I think you're safe.

:hug:

[Beausoir]

40. Nope. I am breaking the rules. I am calling people out on this hateful

shit that they are dropping all over this website.

[cboy4]

44. I've refrained from really laying into people, but I am this close...

believe me.

[symbolman]

45. That's a pretty general statement

are we NOT allowed to disagree here?

How does a Conversation exist if there is only one side allowed to speak?

EVERY DEATH? There are people here who CELEBRATE every death? Please point one out to me.

I've done dozens of Flash animations tearing into Bush, fighting for Veteran's rights (as I am one), and for the reinstatment of the Fairness Doctrine..

What part of the Fairness Doctrine should we decide to leave out, the part where everyone DOESN'T agree?

[The Straight Story]

56. So why do you care he died?

Why even bother posting on it right now? People are upset, that ain't gonna change because you are trying to educate them on how bad he was in your view.

A lot of people liked him and his work, and your feeling is that it was all a sham. Why today then? People can't grieve in peace with their friends on here and discuss someone they cared about and enjoyed without someone else jumping in and telling them they all believed a lie?

I am glad for you that you have your own views on this, but instead of hopping onto threads where people are discussing his life and how much they enjoyed why not just start your own thread about how bad he was and like minded people can join in there?

The guy died suddenly, people liked his show and his work, and they just want to share their moments together and their heartbreak without being challenged during that. I am sure someone could have walked into my mom's funeral and spent some time pointing out some bad things about her, but they would not have been standing there long :)

Would you walk into a funeral and start telling the grieving people the negative things about the person they cared for?

[symbolman]

70. Well I thank you for your civility

and as for appropriateness. I thought this was a discussion board, so we are to sequester threads? Don't post HERE if you disagree? I certainly wouldn't walk into a funeral home and say some this, who would invite me to his funeral, I wasn't his pal.

He's a celebrity, and along with that comes public discourse. What about Mel Gibson? When that came out WHO was supposed to shut up, anyone who wasn't a jew? Catholics? Actors?

I mean, no offense to you, but I didn't see any official Irwin Grieving thread and probably would have posted a link to Kubbler-Ross who invented the 5 stages of grieving..

Thanks for not attacking me, but I'm sorry, a guy who I thought was boorish and rude to animals gets stabbed in the heart by an animal is just TOO Ironic.. It's like Mother Nature slapped him down, smacked him for disrespect in my opinion of animals, wrestling them, as opposed to shows that watch them in natural settings.

I just don't like macho moves on animals, it's like kicking a dog. Sorry.

[cboy4]

29. I don't know what the hell is going on around here lately, but I've

never seen so many nuts post on DU since I signed up in 2002.

I've been irate all day long, so I completely understand your anger WindRavenX.

Fuck that.

[WindRavenX]

33. it's insane

And again, I'll ask it again to the dumbfucks:

JUST WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU PEOPLE WANT? He gave his LIFE to educating people on the enviroment, and you are SHITTING on his legacy. What are YOU doing to change the world?

[Deja Q]

32. He died by being less than nice to a stingray, who

didn't see it as nice either! He's not working for the environment, if that's an example to go by. He's working the environment.

Some of the criticism the guy is getting is just due.

But, yes, he died and I do feel sorrow for his family.

Ultimately, the truth is in the middle. I'm not heartless to the issue, but the guy is being made out into something he was not. That isn't right either.

[WindRavenX]

35. You're wrong

He's not working for the environment, if that's an example to go by. He's working the environment.

Fuck, he wanted kids and adults to respect the enviroment which is what he was doing! He showed them HOW they lived and WHY they deserved OUR--and his-- respect. He made a living of education.

So no, he wasn't "getting" his due.

Just what the fuck are YOU doing for the cause of educating the public on the enviroment, HP?

[Deja Q]

38. Well, I don't have a TV show where I act like a monkey on crack,

but I do my part. (more than him, more than you, more than a bunch of people...)

If you want to shift the fight from some tv clown to what people do in reality, don't get me started - either by my examples of what I do, or my observations of others.

I even walk to work, which is more than telling people lots of nitpicky factoids about gas mileage that they're not going to give a fuck about anyway. Can you say that?

But surely he could have made his points without being so bizarre as to dangle children in front of crocs, or to jump on stingrays? They're still wild animals; not even remotely domesticated. They can't even understand or speak English, so telling them he's not going to harm them but only pull a stunt for the camera isn't going to do much good either.

TV shows for years showed off nature's critters without some human doing some idiotic stunt with them.

Steve turned it into a game.

Animals don't like games.

No doubt Steve probably, as a child, went to the pet store and pounded on the glass of all the pet cages and used bird cage bars as a makeshift guitar by strumming them (and birds hate that... worse, most parents think it's funny when kids do that shit too -- and how many managers step in to tell the little brats off anyway?) Okay, I don't know (or care) what he did as a child. What he's done as an adult has more merit. He's done good. And he's done bad. But jumping on a stingray as a stunt for his show doesn't sound very good to me. Sorry.

[WindRavenX]

41. for the last time

he did NOT jump on a stingray. Stingrays hide in sand on the bottom and he happened to step on one ACCIDENTALLY.

As to your points on it being a "game"-- he is a trained biologist who knows how to properly (and yes, it can be done, as I and many other biologists have done) handle animals. He never goofed off while he handled an animal-- he always treated the animal with repect because he knew just how dangerous they could be.

[cboy4]

49. The reports are that he swam over a stingray that was nestled in the

ocean sand, as experts say these animals often are.

Steve may not have even seen it.

Do you have other information that indicates otherwise?

If not, I'm curious how that is being "less than nice to a stingray."

[Shakespeare]

59. You don't know what the FUCK you're talking about.

Not that that ever stopped you from talking out your ass before.

[tkmorris]

57. DON'T DO THAT

It is most emphatically NOT DU that is the problem here. Rather, it is a small handfull of people who know very well that they are just stirring up trouble. A few of them are individuals that I decided long before today to be interlopers, just here to make DU look foolish.

This is the curse of success. Once upon a time no one had even heard of DU, nor did they give a damn. As the site has grown though, it has attracted more and more people whose agenda it is to undermine the community here. If you leave, they have accomplished their goal.

[qanda]

60. And you're not the only one

If I wanted to face this type of ignorance I would go join Free Republic.

[FARAFIELD]

72. ????

I dont see anyone pissing on his work, I think its entirely cridible to mourn his passing yet say that he was reckless in his responsibility to his family and his cause. And also I cant believe that people including the PM of Australia are calling this a "freak" accident or as someone in this thread said a misadventure, the many did that for a living and it caught up with him. I just think it would be more intellectually honest to say that he went out the way he wanted to but that it didnt surprise anyone.

[Name removed]

81. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Quixote1818]

84. Yes, leaving DU over one or two posts makes no sense

I started a thread in defense of Irwin's risk taking, however it seems people are over reacting over two or three posts that were disrespectful to Irwin on the day he died. DU has 94,000 members, so the fact that two or three people here are evil or have strong feelings about Irwin's life is hardly something to leave DU over. I didn't like those posts and I am glad people called them out on their insensitivity, but putting all of DU in a neat little box over the .000000001% who said evil things about Irwin today, makes no sense at all.

It wouldent matter what orginization this was, their are always a hand full of people who are just plane mean.

[bluestateguy]

3. I'm rather puzzled why some people seem to hate him so much

Yes, his antics were, uh, weird, but he did far more to promore conservation and respect for nature otherwise.

[Wonk]

4. Any idea how many other human beings died today too?

But we apparently need a brazillion threads about this one :/

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. As many Americans have now died in Iraq and Afghanistan....

as all who died in the 9/11 attacks, according to CNN this afternoon. No one at DU is paying any attention to it. I guess the crocodile hunter is more important than men and women sent to fight in a senseless war against a concept and as an act of revenge.

Then there is this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

And this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan

And this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_tourist_attack

[Protagoras]

21. Yep...nothing against Steve but he's no more important

than any one other person who died today.

On the other hand there were a bunch of bigger issues that deserved more threads and did not because of the disruption and distraction.

That takes nothing from his death. But it shouldn't add to it either. Sorry for him and his family but this is a political board and we have some very pressing political issues we need to get moving on now.

[KoKo]

6. WOW! I think we kind of got that....what do you think? DU'ers are

Knuckle Draggers? What the hell is this all about... First Pitt and now you making a fuss where no fuss is warrented.

Sheesh. :eyes: don't need lectures here from fellow DU'ers.

[Midlodemocrat]

9. There has been a lot of grave dancing today. That is where she

is coming from along with Will.

[BlooInBloo]

8. Most certainly he was. A human being dangling his child as bait....

lol!

But he died doing what he loved most - that's more than can be said about most - more power to him.

[graywarrior]

11. Yeah, he was one human who died amongst a million others

today. One life is as important as another. I just thinks it's callous to cheer on a death of someone who never sent anyone to war, never advocated for war, and never killed an innocent Iraqi.

[symbolman]

13. How is saying this guy is an idiot that scared animals

grave dancing?

Seriously, who is in charge of grief and free speech here? You, Me? Seems like there's a spectrum, and there always is, from crass to Godlike, and people might want to agree to disagree instead of calling people Grave Dancers, Trolls, Disruptors, etc..

THAT is sickening. It's supposed to be a free country, right?

So then that means that someone gets to tell everyone to shut up and when to talk?

Ridiculous. Sorry, that is SO UNLIBERAL to me. Not an attack on the OP, just an observation.

Did anyone let their kids watch this guy? Don't you think kids might go out in the yard and PICK UP a Scorpion cause they saw a man on tv do it?

Monkey See, Monkey do..

[OzarkDem]

15. Because that isn't true

and I'm really disappointed in you, of all people, for perpetuating this POV. I thought you were better than that.

[WindRavenX]

23. you have no idea what you're talking about

Scaring animals? Are you serious? Do you have any idea what people in the animal rescue line of work do? He saved animals that would have been killed had he not stepped in. He put his life on the line every day to dispell myths about the "murderous" nature of crocs, snakes, and various other wildlife.

On edit: he also donated 100% of what he earned on Animal Planet to CONSERVATION EFFORTS.

Just WTF do you people WANT someone to do to save the fucking planet and inform the public? No wonder people don't believe in global warming or the danger of diminishing biodiversity-- people like Irwin who have a passion to defend the planet and inform the public are ridiculed.

This biologist who has worked HANDS ON with animals is calling BULLSHIT on your post.

[Pale Blue Dot]

34. A small minority of DUers shit on ANYONE who does ANYTHING.

Anyone who announces that they are taking some kind of concrete action is bound to be crucified by a small, but vocal, minority here. So the fact that some are piling on to Irwin comes as little shock to me (after my inital disbelief).

Don't let it bother you too much, and please don't go.

[alarimer]

63. Some people are never happy

He could have been a saint and it still wouldn't have been good enough. I think some of the things he did were done to make it fun to watch and I don't particularly think there is anything wrong with that. There is no evidence, none that I have seen anyway, to indicate anything resembling mistreatment of animals. And I think he rescued plenty that would have been killed otherwise. Good enough for me. I am not sentimental about animals.

[eShirl]

69. ..

.

[Lost-in-FL]

25. This is a free country and some have the right

to be jerks.

Now, if your kid pick up an scorpion cause they saw that on TV (Steve always said NOT TO DO THAT AT HOME) then it all comes down to natural selection. They were dumb enough to pick the scorpion even when they were adviced not to. And that is a whole other thread.

[symbolman]

55. Do you have kids?

It doesn't sound like it, as you'd be frightened for your kid and not just wave the Darwin's Book around.. Little kids are Monkey See, Monkey DO.. they don't read disclaimers, they drink bleach without reading the labels, etc..

To little kids TV is REAL. I have a 20 month old now that's exceedingly bright, but he imitates everything he sees, had one son at three almost run me over with the car, jumped right in the driver's seat while my wife was in the car when I got out..

They see someone doing this, they WILL imitate it.

Now, what kind of message is a child receiving when a man dangles and tempts a CROC, a killing machine with a BABY? What are they supposed to think? Do kids think, "Wow that's really cool.." Not kids under three.. all they want is to be SAFE (which is what all of us want and that's what the Bush people are preying on right now), and they might think that those BIG people can Harm them or put them at risk..

How many kids are doing Jackass stunts despite the warnings? I've got a 20 year old that has been doing REALLY stupid "stunts" since he was 17 as a result of that show..

Don't do this at Home? Impressionable minds don't listen.. Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Maybe Jesus should have said that, used a Stunt Messiah :)

[Lost-in-FL]

58. Thank god I don't!

Can you imagine having to control everything they watch on TV? :sarcasm: They might grow up to be an environmentalist.

[symbolman]

66. Be careful

you just might have one some day, and believe when I was single I thought they were all little mutants, kinda cute, but get that away from me.. :)

Once you have one, you realise that YOU have to be GOD, and that being a giant to a new human is a daunting task, it has rewards, but man, all they try to do for the first 20 years is try to KILL themselves..

Someone wrote that before a kid of 5 they've seen something like 10,000 murders on TV.. and we wonder why people don't seem to care when we're down and out :)

[Beausoir]

31. You take an active glee in the death of one man, symbolman.

You make me sick.

You enjoy your party.

Meanwhile, the decent humans who are left here will move on without you.

[symbolman]

43. Your definition of glee

is beyond me. And calling someone indecent who thinks a guy who dangles babies in front of crocs STUPID is pretty incredible to me.

Was THAT action Decent?

What about Michael Jackson, what are your feelings on that, him hanging a baby over a rail, are you a FAN (in which case it's "forgiveable") or a Detractor (someone who doesn't like Jackson, maybe believes he's even a pedophile, in which case FANS will attack you for saying it)..?

I will defend your right to disagree with me to the death, and have (as a Vietnam Era Veteran), but it seems many here won't defend OTHERS right to say what they think.. is that FREEDOM of Speech?

Are YOU defending it? Am I? I think I am.

[Beausoir]

48. After the way you have disgraced yourself today...

You are not worthy of my time.

Goodbye.

[symbolman]

51. Okay

fine with me. Have a nice Labor Day, and read some Kubbler-Ross about Grieving, it might illuminate you and help you understand "grace" better..

[Deja Q]

36. No, it's not. And it's interesting to see what gets branded as "hate",

when it is merely people pointing out observations.

And, yes, some are undoubtedly hateful for real. That's their business.

The truth is in the middle.

But Steve was no saint AND he was known for dissing a fellow environmentalist too (that link is in the one and only OP I made on the topic, the link of which points to a site of a blog whose author had more vitriol than the bulk of DUers today...)

[Name removed]

82. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[citizen snips]

54. Thank you

I am no steve irwin hater but there is no need to go psycho when somebody disagrees.

[applegrove]

27. I loved his energy. Kids liked him. What is wrong with that? He is an

icon. Not a huge one. But taught love of nature and animils to one and all.

[atomicdawg38]

37. This just sucks

When I thought of Australia, it was Steve Irwin. I can't believe he is dead. I feel like when Princess Di passed. Just horrible. Rest In Peace.

[OzarkDem]

46. Send the mods a message

They may ban me for pointing this out, but perhaps we should share our feelings with them about how things have gotten so bad here lately. Maybe they don't realize how it looks to others.

[bloom]

61. I don't usually even see

how the stupid Corporate media spins these things (and I've missed most of the threads) - but I was at someone else's house this a.m. - who had one of the networkTV stations on - and the news kept showing over and over Irwin with his baby - dangling him in the vicinity of the crocodile/alligator or whatever. And that was all they showed of him.

It was pretty clear from that - and how people have said they have seen this spun - that the media wants people to see him as some kind of monster-freak. Being the corporate - "we don't give a crap about the environment" - media - > that is not a surprise.

So we either have people falling for that sort of nonsense or shit stirrers or freepers or whatever.

[UTUSN]

67. He was a dude, a human being, everybody loved him, I know I did nt

[Jcrowley]

71. Didn't know of the guy until recently

Then we checked out a DVD my 5 year old son picked out just by accident. We've played that thing several times a day and we both revelled in that guys attitude and fondness for creatures. For whatever reason I have to say I was really saddened and shocked upon hearing of his death. My son has been play-acting as crocodile trapper around the house. Your spirit lives on Steve if only in the imagination of one small boy.

[ForrestGump]

73. And that spirit lives in the imaginations of many, many OTHER small

boys and girls. And if even a fraction of them become informed citizens as a result, we have all benefited from Steve Irwin's time on this planet. And if even one becomes an environmental biologist or in a position to directly influence and inform environmental policy, then so much the better.

[Blecht]

74. He was a very lucky man

He died doing something he sure seemed to love.

I hope I am as lucky.

[peekaloo]

75. I signed in and signed off rather quickly this a.m.

Thing is I didn't really care for the guy's show or his antics but Jebus some posts were rather disgusting in their vitriol.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

76. I Haven't Felt Like This Since John KennedyJr. and Princess Diana Died

:hi: I don't know why exactly, but I loved him! A man who dedicated his life to animals, raised awareness for all manner of creatures great and small, and was a passionate conservationist. YES, Steve Irwin was a human being.

:hug: :cry:

[tabatha]

77. Good article on what happened:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/05/asia/AS_GEN_Australia_Crocodile_Hunter_Killed.php


....

Billy Campbell, the Discovery Network's U.S. president, said the first time he went scuba diving with Irwin on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, they went through the lengthiest safety check he had ever experienced, so he was "stunned" at his death.

....

[farmboxer]

78. Steve Irwin cared about our planet

Yes, he was human, a very special human. If an animal was suffering, he would suffer with them. He was a very good human being.

[njdemocrat106]

83. I always had respect for the man

Steve Irwin was one of the few people who could take a serious issue which was near and dear to his heart, the environment, and make it exciting and appealing to audience, who ranged in age from young to old. Nowadays, I'm beginning to think that people as a whole are losing "passion" and just caring less about the world around them. Steve Irwin still had passion, a passion for environmental issues and animal welfare, and he was able to convey that passion with enthusiasm and a sense of humor. He knew the dangers of his work, but it was his passion for educating his audience and helping to encourage them to learn more about their world that drove him to go out there and face any possible danger.

Still, Irwin was just a human. I'm sure he had his strengths and his faults just like the rest of us. He was an educator who was as informative as he was entertaining. I wish for his family peace and comfort during these trying times. He died way too young, but may he rest in peace.

[Sonnabend]

86. He was a typical Aussie

Dedicated to his work, in love with his family, a true believer in what he wanted to accomplish..and fearless in the face of the Australian environment, which has some of the most dangerous animals anywhere in the world.

He was a true blue Aussie, a dinky di ambassador for Australia to the rest of the world...and a man with an indomitable spirit.

How he died is irrelevant.

CELEBRATE HIS LIFE.

That's his REAL legacy.THAT is what we should all be doing.