Well said! Bravo! I agree. n/p

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Posted by Jamie/JBug on March 26, 2000 at 19:27:38:

In Reply to: Editorial Comment about Newspaper Reports posted by Wes von Papine�u on March 26, 2000 at 08:30:02:

: Good morning Iguana Forum: I'm usually just a vistor/lurker here (I do not have an iguana, but we have 100+ other herps), but if you'll please indulge me, I see an opening to contribute ...

: ya gotta remember tho, the igs + other reptiles that make the news are usually the ones who *don't* behave themselves ... you're never gonna hear a breaking news story about the sweet-tempered, 5', 11.5 pound male ig, who snuggles with his humom and gives her kisses!

: iZ's Mom has made a wonderful and all-too-true comment here .... in 1999 We collected over 2,000 press items about herps ... and by far, the one's featuring herp-human interaction usually featured a 'dog-bites-man' slant to reporting herp-related events.
: If it's not a story about wee-green-Godzilla's escaping and terrorizing the local neighbourhood, it's an exaggerated report on 'savage bites by bearded dragons', constriction by garter snakes or rabid turtles drooling great chunks of salmonella into your bathtub (and naturally, I'm exagerating just a wee bit).
: The fact is, good news does not sell papers. All you competent, ethical and caring iguana-philes will never make the front pages ... you 'might' make the social page 'if' the paper can get a good 'feel-good' photo of your club/individual education efforts with a local school/girl guide pack!
: However, just let one of your critters head up the tree in your own front yard and watch what happens.

: I guess what I'm trying to say in a long-about fashion: iZ's mom's right ... please remember that for every 'good iguana gone bad' story that you read, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of equally important (but not printed) stories out there about good iguanas and good owners!

: Don't panic about 'bad iguana press': ... read the item, try to make sense of it (does it sound plausable/realistic?), discuss it amongst your knowledgable peers; and then do something about it! This can run the range from writing the paper with a calm note about iguanas, starting or increasing your education efforts locally, or even just making sure that the reported situation will never feature 'your animal'. But don't panic.

: You can see by this forum, and others like it, good iguana keepers (is that PC?) are in the majority .... even though you don't get to read about them.

: Good iguana keepers make their own good press amongst their peers, by not ending up on page one of their local press!

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: : Good morning Iguana Forum: I'm usually just a vistor/lurker here (I do not have an iguana, but we have 100+ other herps), but if you'll please indulge me, I see an opening to contribute ... : : <i> ya gotta remember tho, the igs + other reptiles that make the news are usually the ones who *don't* behave themselves ... you're never gonna hear a breaking news story about the sweet-tempered, 5', 11.5 pound male ig, who snuggles with his humom and gives her kisses! </i> : : iZ's Mom has made a wonderful and all-too-true comment here .... in 1999 We collected over 2,000 press items about herps ... and by far, the one's featuring herp-human interaction usually featured a 'dog-bites-man' slant to reporting herp-related events. : : If it's not a story about wee-green-Godzilla's escaping and terrorizing the local neighbourhood, it's an exaggerated report on 'savage bites by bearded dragons', constriction by garter snakes or rabid turtles drooling great chunks of salmonella into your bathtub (and naturally, I'm exagerating just a wee bit). : : The fact is, good news does not sell papers. All you competent, ethical and caring iguana-philes will never make the front pages ... you 'might' make the social page 'if' the paper can get a good 'feel-good' photo of your club/individual education efforts with a local school/girl guide pack! : : However, just let one of your critters head up the tree in your own front yard and watch what happens. : : I guess what I'm trying to say in a long-about fashion: iZ's mom's right ... please remember that for every 'good iguana gone bad' story that you read, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of equally important (but not printed) stories out there about good iguanas and good owners! : : Don't panic about 'bad iguana press': ... read the item, try to make sense of it (does it sound plausable/realistic?), discuss it amongst your knowledgable peers; and then do something about it! This can run the range from writing the paper with a calm note about iguanas, starting or increasing your education efforts locally, or even just making sure that the reported situation will never feature 'your animal'. But don't panic. : : You can see by this forum, and others like it, good iguana keepers (is that PC?) are in the majority .... even though you don't get to read about them. : : Good iguana keepers make their own good press amongst their peers, by not ending up on page one of their local press!

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