If one man -- or puss, I suppose, in this case -- disagrees with the majority and has different visions of freedom for one particularly put-upon subsection of society what cannot speak for themselves -- in this case, mollusks -- and attempts to stand up for the subaltern, the MANY descend upon him and try to silence him. Threats of execution, and all that.

'S why he exiled himself to land, brave lad.