Yes, I am one of those people who thinks you should never clip. At risk of alienating the entire board, I have to ask, if your home is not suited for a flighted animal, why get one? People don't try and keep horses in backyards or German shepherds in small apartments.
I see posts all the time about people modifying the animal before modifying the environment. Clip because the bird could fly into the oven? You could not have the bird out while you cook. Clip because there's windows? Get blinds, screen covers, teach your birds about windows, have UV glass, curtains...there's a lot of alternatives. Clipping because of ceiling fans? Don't turn on the ceiling fan, get a bladeless fan if you really have to have one on with a bird out.
I also get riled when I hear people clip for behavioral reasons. I don't kneecap a dog for running around, I train it. Clip a bird because the person doesn't want it flying to them? Really? They're blessed with a creature that wants to be with them so they cripple them because they find it annoying.
Which brings me to my second question - if people don't want an animal that can fly, why get a bird? We tell perspective owners that from time to time that birds will scream, they will bite, they will chew and destroy things, learn to be ok with it. But if they fly, hey that's ok, that can be solved with scissors?
I'm curious about your point, because though I completely understand and respect it, I do find it a bit asymmetrical. My parrot was clipped when I brought her home, but she is currently growing her feathers out and will be fully flighted. I am a huge fan of leaving parrots flighted and wing clipping makes me cringe. However, I can also completely understand and visualize situations in which a bird must be clipped or risk losing its family and home. I have a Senegal who is not a huge fan of my fiance, we plan on having children one day. If she becomes protective of me and aggressive towards my children, in that situation I would have her wings clipped, if only until my kids were older and understood. She is going to be my life companion, and we can work anything out, but if comes down to a few years clipped or re homing her, I would clip her wings in a heartbeat...though it would make me very sad to do so.
I do understand your concept of "why have a flighted pet then?" however, I also see the flip side. Life can throw curve balls at you, and I may be selfish, but I am not going to deny myself such a unique and wonderful friend over a few feathers. I see another compromise there, she has a swanky house, with swanky toys, and swanky fresh made food. She has 24/7 staff on call, and honestly she seems pretty content to me. If she wants to go anywhere else in the house all she has to do is let us know (she has a signal that we know) and she can catch a ride or she climbs off her cage and walks her little birdy butt there. I see an animal who does not know she is missing anything, what-so-ever.
I believe in some situations clipping can be a beneficiary evil in order to keep the pets and friends we adore. Though I an not a fan, I do not believe that wing clipping is an ultimate and eternal evil. After all, if things work out, the feathers always grow back and in a few months a bird can return to being fully flighted.
It should be mentioned that when I was a kid I raised flocks of ducks and geese in my suburban back yard, kept my horse down the street in my neighbors yard, and that I also currently live in a small apartment with Plot-hound dog, a parrot, a pug, and a fiance. Therefore my opinion may reflect my redneck upbringing and lifestyle.
