Re: IF YOU LIVE IN TENNESSEE (and everyone else) READ!

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: Is it ok if I take some quotes from this and post flyers on my campus with your e-mail addresses? : : >NOTE: This letter will be posted on several forums. Expressed permission has been granted by the administrators of kingsnake.com. Permission is granted (and : : I encourage you to do so) copy and post it, in it's entirety, on other forums at : : kingsnake.com. Please email me for permission to use it elsewhere. : : > : : >Currently, TN has some of the most restrictive laws regarding reptiles & : : amphibians. WHY?...Because NO ONE (myself included) has ever had the time, : : guts, support, desire or means to stand up to the people who made these laws. : : >Recently, the topic of TN laws has been coming up on various forums both here : : on kingsnake.com, and elsewhere. Several of us "Tennessee locals" have been : : quietly working behind the scenes to organize an effective "answer" to the : : situation in TN, and so far, we've met / contacted the following "types" of : : people. : : > : : >1) The..."hey, how can I help" person. These kinds of people are what we need! : : EXAMPLE: BGF from the venom lab in Australia has contacted the main herp : : enforcement officer in TN concerning the "snafu" about mangrove snakes, which : : USED to be legal to have, but NOW are restricted, BECAUSE someone at TWRA : : (Tennessee Wildlife Resources) heard, (but didn't bother to check) that ONE : : person (IN ANOTHER COUNTRY TOO!!!) had received a medically significant bite : : from a mangrove snake. : : >Others people we have either contacted, or have been contacted by, are willing : : to put their name and reputation on the line as well, which brings us to the : : next kind of person... : : > : : >2) The..."I don't want to get involved because I don't live in TN" person. : : Well, guess what folks, the laws of TN regarding captive wildlife ARE BEING : : LOOKED AT BY OTHER STATES AS A BASIS FOR CHANGING OR MODIFYING THEIR LAWS! : : >You think your state laws are unfair, move to TN, just make sure you stop on : : your way in and get an import permit for your herps,.... and if you have ANY : : venomous species, please apply for a class 1 license, then build a zoo to keep : : them in. : : > : : >3) The "but I don't keep venomous snakes..., all I have is a boa / iguana at : : home, or a frog in the classroom, or your kids have a pet turtle, not you" : : person. Again, look at the issues in the news and the ease at which TN : : justifies adding creatures to it's prohibited list. Have boas or pythons ever : : caused human fatalities in the USA, .....YES, largely due to their owners : : carelessness. Are iguanas responsible for creating a dangerous bacterial : : situation in their environment, sure...just ask the Humane Soc, who is pushing : : for a ban on ALL reptiles in captivity. Did you or one of your students catch : : that tadpole or frog in a local pond....? BIG NO-NO, you just broke the law. : : > : : >4) The "well what happened to the NRAAC & other organizations....THEY are the : : ones who should be fighting this, not me" person. Well get used to the idea : : that for the foreseeable future, the NRAAC no longer exists. It may have been : : started with the best of intentions, but for now, (due to some factors that I'm : : aware of, mainly lack of support and commitment from it's members, and other : : factors I'm sure that I'm not aware of) it is gone. : : > : : >5) And finally the "name calling, finger pointing, get-mad-but-do-nothing" : : person. MANY people have singled out the one person at TWRA who is in charge of : : exotic species as the "it starts and ends with him" person. THIS IS NOT : : TRUE...., not totally : : >anyway. YES, he can be a very "by the book" person. YES, in my opinion he is : : not willing to consider other's opinions about the laws and possible changes to : : them in TN. : : >But I guarantee this..... HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO MAKES THE LAWS, NOR IS HE : : THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CHANGE THEM! There is an entire structure of officials, : : both at TWRA and other government agencies who he, directly or indirectly : : reports to,.... and ultimately is accountable to. : : > : : >Which brings me to my point...., WE NEED TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY : : THOSE OF YOU IN TENNESSEE!!!! In order to fight for a change, we NEED to know : : that YOU EXIST!!! Too many people are willing to "never do today what you can : : put off until tomorrow." Too many people would rather concern themselves ONLY : : with their own state, (I SUPPORTED CALIFORNIA'S LAW CHANGES THROUGH PHONE CALLS, : : A LETTER AND EMAILS, AND MY NAME IS ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING THE NEW : : PROPOSALS THERE.... I ALSO HAVE VOICED MY OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED LAWS IN NEW : : YORK, SOUTH CAROLINA, ALABAMA & INDIANA....., AND I LIVE IN TENNESSEE) But we : : need to know that you are out there and wish to get involved. In order to do : : that, we need a way to CONTACT you! : : > : : >PLEASE either post below, or email me directly. OUR future, YOUR future, : : possibly EVERYBODY'S future regarding reptiles & amphibians may depend on : : hearing from YOU! : : > : : >ECO : : crazycritterguy@hotmail.com : : Stryder : : stryder_boa@hotmail.com or stryder_girl@yahoo.com : : : : :

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