Scorpions are good pets in general.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=Notes=Because Pro rejects the idea of determining "good" by comparing scorpions to other pets, I ask the reader to judge a pet "good" if and only if its positive qualities outweigh its negatives. Simply proving that something has positive qualities is not enough.Also, I just found the Rich Text button. Expect slightly better formatting from me now! :D~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=Responses= (For clarity, they are prefaced with the first few words of the rebuttal paragraphs they are written in response to)"When I do make positive ..." - Admittedly I did to Pro's positive points; In my rebuttal, I was mainly responding to what I saw as an undue focus on proving that scorpions were safe. There were indeed points about the good things about scorpions, which I did overlook. I apologize, and will address them in the last section of this post."We should further note ..." - Yes, I accept the points made about scorpions' relative harmlessness as true, though I do hold that these negative points have little bearing on the debate, as my case for their subpar pet-status does not rest on the idea that they are a danger to humans. Rather, I am more concerned with the danger that humans pose to the scorpion. That, and the absence of various qualities which I see as critical to meaningful pet ownership. (See Benefits of Owning.)"I say it is unfair ..." - I've never claimed that scorpions are bad creatures. My point is that they're not a good choice of pet. So, a better metaphor would be me saying that it would have been better if someone with wings had fallen instead. When I say scorpions are bad pets, I mean no offense against them. I simply don't think being a pet is very good for them."Con asserts from his source ..." - My statistic about people talking to pets served only to prove that companionship is an important factor in pet ownership. My claim that people are less likely to talk to pet scorpions follows from the idea that the typical human-scorpion relationship is fundamentally less interactive than other human-pet relationships. (One party being encased in glass, interaction mostly consisting of one watching the other, etc.)"I am confused when Con asserts ..." - I stand by my statement that the uncuddliness of scorpions is more than just a subjective judgment. Yes, my comment about their appearance was subjective. However, we have already established that, as a rule of thumb, scorpions should not be touched. The "Do not touch" rule precludes all cuddliness, and is not based on subjective judgment. So, when I say scorpions are not cuddly, that is a statement of fact."I feel that a scorpion can be ..." - People are not at home on the space station, and animals are not at home in the zoo. I believe that there is a difference between one's natural habitat and an environment artificially engineered to suit their needs. Make of this what you will."Scorpions do share space ..." - Yes, by giving up some square footage for a terrarium, a person is technically "sharing space" with the scorpion. But that's semantics. What I meant was that the scorpion and person do not occupy the same place. They reside in completely separate bubbles, whereas other pets and family members move about in a single shared bubble.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=On Pro's "Many Things You can do with a Pet Scorpion" =Regarding the fun derived from watching scorpions eat:This is a valid benefit, and I won't reject it arbitrarily. That said, we should remember that scorpions only need feeding 1-2 times per week. Ergo, this fanciful carnage only occurs 1-2 times per week.Regarding the use of pet scorpions as conversation starters:Indeed, they are good conversation starters. However, this is only because they're an uncommon pet. There's nothing intrinsically good about them that makes them good conversation; It's just novelty, which is unrelated to whether they're good pets.Regarding the fun derived from watching scorpions climb:There's little difference between this and watching the scorpion eat. I reject the idea that this is a separate activity. Actually, defining "watching it" as a thing to do with a pet is a stretch in itself.Regarding the ability to play with scorpions:Please refer to my Safety in Handling section from the previous round. Even under the best of circumstances, interacting with a scorpion will cause it stress. Under anything less than the best of circumstances, one risks pain to themselves and death to the scorpion.The only thing here that actually revolves around interacting with a scorpion is the idea of playing with it. This is, however,unadvisable. There are in fact very few things one can conceivably do with a pet scorpion, and even fewer things that are actually enriching for the scorpion or the person.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~