Why is everyone so sympathetic to the Yeerks?!

[Phoenix004]

I think it's wrong to say that parasites are evil, since a tapeworm has evolved to do what it does. Some might say the same about the Yeerks, but I disagree. True that is how the Yeerks evolved (just like we evolved as predators) but the Yeerks are just any old parasite, they are sentient. As such, they know that they are choosing to enslave the bodies of other sentient beings for their own benefit (even though they can live out their entire lives without doing so). That, in my opinion, is evil.

Even if you don't consider them evil, I'd still find it hard to sympathise. If I had a gun and a Lion tried to eat me, I wouldn't start an ethical debate about whether or not the Lion was evil, I'd shoot it. Not because I thought the Lion was evil or that I had a greater right to live, but out of simple self-defence. By the same principle, the Yeerks chose to invade our planet, so I would fight them to defend myself and my planet.

[Dameg]

Do you think Yorick is still reading?

I agree with people here (of course, I'm a "parasite lover" lol). If you think they're all bad, so you should considere that every Humans are bad too. We eat animals, we kill them, we destroy our own planet... Are we good? Andalites juged the Yeerks as bad people, and they must juge us in the same way. We know we hurt but we can't stop. I don't like to know how we treat the animals who should finish in our plates, but I won't - never ! - stop eating meat. I like so much meat: When I see a duck or a fish, I think about it as a meal! lol
We needa eat to live. Yeerks needa hosts to live (not to survive).
And I have another example about Yeerks who don't like this war and host: in the Hork-Bajir Chronicles, many Yeerks told to Esplin they don't like to enter in a host's body, they don't like to have a host. So I don't think the majority or the Yeerks WANT to have slavish hosts... or any host at all...

But I don't agree for the pool of the Pool ship... It was useless. For the Yeerk Pool on Earth, Animorphs should destroy it, it was a good plan, it was war. But on the Pool ship, it was too cruel... and Aximili did what his brother Elfangor didn't do... and I was so happy to see Elfangor refusing to kill helpless Yeerks...

Well, everything is my own opinion.
And I understand that Yorick don't agree. He can do his own choices.
But I hope he won't be president or anything like that ^_^' I imagine how many people he would condemn ^_^' lol
Yorick, just think about that: Many people killed many other people because they were different, because they didn't understand them, because they were afraid of them... And don't judge too quickly.
I don't know if you say the same in English, but in France we often say: "Only idiots don't change their opinion."

[morfowt]

so if I don't change my opinion that animorphs is a good series, I'm an idiot?

not that I'm saying I don't want to be an idiot...

[Dameg]

lol I don't think so ^_^ But it's an expression to say that if you never change your opinion, even when people give your proof you're wrong, then you're an idiot ^_^'
But Yorick, don't worry, I'm not telling you you're an idiot. I'd just like you think about what YOU would do if you were a Yeerk or if you lived in a tyranic country... For example, try to imagine if you were a German in 1936~1945... May be your opinion can change, may be not, but if it's after a good reflection, so it's cool ^_^

[Yorick Brown]

There is absolutely NOTHING evil about an organism eating another organism. I in no way think a wolf is evil for eating a deer, a lion for eating a gazelle or a human eating a cow or a pig or a chicken. The Yeerks however do not eat their victims for food but enslave sentient beings for satisfy their greed and psychologically torture their host.

[morfowt]

I'm not sure which side this backs up but, I was thinking...

why do yeerks infest bodies? because they can and they want to, not because of survival...

and it's a lot like what humans do. why do we go to amusement parks? because we can and we want to. why do we eat ice cream? is it neccesary for our survival? no. we just do because we can and we want to. why do people use golden toilet seats (no seriously, some people do)? because the y can and they want to.

I'm not even sure what I'm saying. it was just something I thought of.

[vipertongn]

Summing it all up.  Not ALL yeerks are bad, and not ALL humans are good.  When taking over a host against their will they are considered parasites, but those who are willing would be considered either symbiotic or some other thing where neither benefit nor lose anything.  War happens, and in the process some innocents may be sacrificed, but for Jakes case...not on purpose.  You do what you need to survive...that's all.

[morfowt]

actually, parasitism is a type of symbiosis, in which one species gains and another loses. the word you're looking for is mutualisim, in which both species gain something out of symbiosis.

[vipertongn]

yea something like that.  You know i had a dream about this long ago.  like the yeerk can take over a job when someone doesnt want to do it...hmm how to explain.  Ok say you are working on your job and you feel so mentally tired or whatever, the yeerk can then take over and continue whatever you are doing, while u can just do nothing or w/e. iono. my dream was that i was sitting and doing hw and then the yeerk took over and helped me study or w/e. xD

[morfowt]

let's hope that yeerk was a smart one...

[vipertongn]

hey after all they have access to my mind. lol like ur portable cheatsheet

[morfowt]

but the yeerk has no way of knowing the answers in your head are the correct answers.

[vipertongn]

think of it like this, i can't remember some things, but after seeing a book and stuff its like photographic memory on the spot ^^. the yeerk can remember or access the info lost in my head.

[CounterInstinct]

That would be one of the advantages of having a Yeerk inside your mind LOL. 
Joe Fenestre is a good example of how a Yeerk could be advantageous to humans as well.

@Yorick:
Before Ranting about how Yeerks are ALL evil, and how human are all righteous by killing millions of cows and sheep every year, please read the oh so controversial book 19. 

[Dameg]

Yorick>
I agree with Counter. You seem to say that every Yeerks like to torture their host, but it's false. Many do that. Many must do that because their host hate them, so they answer. And many must do that only because they like it. Like some people like to hurt their dog. But many other people just like their dog, so why can't you think that many Yeerks must like their host? In the books, we have many bad examples (Visser 3, his twin, Tom, even may be Visser 1 sometimes... even if I think he isn't so bad) but why? Because they're chiefs! and they became chiefs because they're heartless.
And you say Humans kill cows for food... but don't you know that Humans can survives without meat? Don't you remember when Ax compared what Humans do to cows they gonna kill... with torture. And the animals we kill for other reasons than food?
If you wanna hate Yeerks, so you must hate Humans.