:thumbup: Didn't see your post before I posted mine. Much more succinct than I managed to write. :ho:

The most charitable thing we can do is to stop judging others.

:mademyday:

Agree with gracie.

Have to agree with the original post. We have crossed the line on many things. Latest cell phones, electronics and entertainment, thousands on pet care, while in our country there are children that go to bed hungry every night who do not receive medical and dental care.

Ask the Marion County Schools about the children living in Ocala National Forest in cardboard shacks or tents who only get a decent meal at school and go home on weekends with donated backpacks that contain food for the weekend.

Re-thinking priorities
 

It's not judgemental to say that spending $5,000 on a pet hip replacement tells how far society has gone into unnecessary or futile spending on their pets, and priorities are getting skewed. Especially when the pet has 3 OTHER hips that are probably getting bad too....same skeletal system and bone density etc. Is a person going to spend $20,000 on hip replacements, when the dog has to naturally get debilitated and die sometime?

Is that $20,000 that won't be available to the family's kids, to put toward their college education?

I don't see anything wrong with getting others' viewpoints here on things going askew in society. Lord knows, many things ARE askew. Lots of good points were made from different perspectives.

Pointing out skewed priorities in society is not necessarily "judging" them to be all bad. It just says, "We need to take a look at our priorities here, in regard to our spending on pets versus humans."

I often wonder if some of our neighbors and acquaintances who spend thousands at a time for the dog's vet bills would so willingly accept a $5,000 deductible on their employer-paid health insurance, to lower premium costs.
I know some would have an absolute FIT if they had a $5,000 deductible on their own health insurance---they can't even stand a $10 co-pay on a prescription!

Hancle, thanks for the post. That is exactly the idea I was trying to get across, which you expressed perfectly.

ilovetv - your message "I don't see anything wrong with getting others' viewpoints here on things going askew in society. Lord knows, many things ARE askew. Lots of good points were made from different perspectives." is very apt.

If we are to be dismissed because we have a different opinion about something, why have a discussion group? The whole point of an online group like this is to hear everyone's opinion. Sometimes, when a person with a different perspective points out a fact or an observation, it makes people wake up and say to themselves, "I never realized that", or "yes, that person is right, I could be doing more to help others", or whatever the discussion is about.

That's why ya gotta love TOTV. So many bright, articulate, thoughtful and funny people sharing ideas, laughter and opinions.

:BigApplause: