This is important for all aspects of pet keeping!

i agree that they shouldn't have the right to take away the pets of responsible owners, but i also agree that there does need to be some restrictions put on pets that are more likely to be kept by irresponsible owners. now, i don't think that the government should discriminate against certain pets that have a bad reputation, but rather put down harsher rules on those people that are less responsible.
 
Sorry but I believe the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
then please do explain how the current states of infrastructure, economics, unemployment and the housing market are even remotely possible.
I own a 10 foot boa and a 5 foot corn snake
then this should interest you. you should take the time to at least read the bill and know it's history and reasoning. also reference the articles and subsections in which they refer to in the context in which they're rewritten for this bill.
and if the government says I must get rid of them then so be it
thats sheep talk, and quite honestly totally contradictory to your first statement. as americans, the one pride we have is the fact that we fought for our rights. it would be ashamed to see that go down the drain in one generation. oh, wait... too late....
I am of the belief that the big 5 should not be as easy to obtain as what they are in the first place.
while i agree with this, the context you write it in is quite astonishing. it says to me, that you believe that if congress, the usfws and the state of florida can't think of anything better than to make it's citizens outlaws to get their way, you're going to lay down and let them do it to you. even worse... you're going to let them do it to your fellow citizens?to set the story straight... this isn't about the big 5. this is about the burmese, period. to add to that, there was 9 (actually 10, really) species on that list until last week (that's for 4 years) that they thought they could easily pass under our noses. the reason i say actually 10 is because red tailed boa was listed as "redtail boa", however it's actually two distinct species with several locales from around the world. so boa constrictor imperator and boa constrictor constrictor were considered one species under this bill (sneaky, sneaky).
 
For some reason I cannot post with a quote but Dun, I don't know where the personal attack came from but if having an opinion that differs from that of the rest of the community makes me a bad or "smarmy" person then so be it. I understand perfectly what this means for snake owners and still fell as though if I have to rid myself of my snakes to protect the natural habitats that exist within our country then I see nothing wrong with that. Truthfully this is about government encroachment on the rights of people.
 
you are absolutely correct, lauren. to be honest, there's been a whole lot of great ideas ignored in the past 4 years. USARK and the reptile nation have come up with ideas for permits, classes to obtain the permits, tracking chips, etc. that could be alternative legislation and implemented. responsible keepers are all for uncle sam getting his piece of the pie if that's what it takes to ensure that joe shmoe the teenage idiot doesn't have unfettered access to the big boys. even more important is how we're going to deal with venomous species. if done right, legislation could easily cover both aspects and florida would be forced to take a stand on exotic species ownership before they lose their entire ecosystem to the next tree frog, chameleon or iguana that comes down the line.legislation that protects the average citizen and the ecosystem instead of overnight turning a whole group of innocent tax payers into federal criminals that we all have to pitch in to find, incriminate and house in a jail for who knows how many years. not to mention the price of setting up special task forces, etc., etc. ... all while losing the tax money these guys put into the system. just what we need right now...
 
For some reason I cannot post with a quote but Dun, I don't know where the personal attack came from but if having an opinion that differs from that of the rest of the community makes me a bad or "smarmy" person then so be it. I understand perfectly what this means for snake owners and still fell as though if I have to rid myself of my snakes to protect the natural habitats that exist within our country then I see nothing wrong with that. Truthfully this is about government encroachment on the rights of people.
the "smarmy" remark goes back a ways and refers to you twisting things out of context to shine a bad light on me. i think it's obvious that if i wanted to say something i'd come straight forward with it now. fact is, i was a little upset when i wrote that and by the time i'd got back to it i realized it didn't belong here and couldn't remedy that since i hit post too fast and this currently broken system (A/C) wouldn't let me edit it out. i'm sorry for bringing it up here. that was wrong.back on topic; ridding yourself of snakes is in no way even a fathomable solution to the situation in the everglades. you and i both know that. this isn't about a snake... this is about a senator that didn't do his job and passed it on to federal legislation to save his hide so he can be reelected. this is about civil liberties, encroachment on our personal space and our rights as american citizens. this is one of many attempts to overturn the lacey act and make as many pets illegal as possible. this is the first step in that direction that's going to be a success and the first step in disbanding pet owners as a group so we fight within ourselves giving big brother free reign to take what they want.do tell me how everyone can see that a bill to protect children from internet child pornography and sex offenders is capable of shutting down the entire internet, but somehow a bill that's supposed to save the everglades from the burmese pythons that have been spawning there for decades and includes 9 other species to be banned in michigan, main, washington, etc. isn't an obvious encroachment on our rights??????? legislation that works... that's what we need... not legislation that's useless. these guys get paid too much money not to see the obvious.
 
At it's core we can agree that it is in essence about government encroachment on the general public's lives, which is quite sticky ground considering politics are "illegal" here, and truthfully at the core of my reasoning lies politics so I guess we shall discuss that no further :) Virginia right now is very likely going to be passing legislation banning my boa constrictor outright before the federal government gets a chance to. Have you heard of HB1242 or SB477 that are being proposed in Va?
 
At it's core we can agree that it is in essence about government encroachment on the general public's lives, which is quite sticky ground considering politics are "illegal" here, and truthfully at the core of my reasoning lies politics so I guess we shall discuss that no further Virginia right now is very likely going to be passing legislation banning my boa constrictor outright before the federal government gets a chance to. Have you heard of HB1242 or SB477 that are being proposed in Va?
not familiar with the medicaid bill, but a friend in washington state enlightened me a little on the other bill some time ago.if there's anything i can do to help being from out of state (a petition i can sign or a letter i can send, etc.) on your HB1242 situation, just let me know. i'd need a lot of information on the other one to help at this point.that rexano link is very interesting. nobody ever thinks about finding the truth, though, unfortunately.
 
i may still have family in VA that can help as well, so do let me know.
 
honestly, i think banning snakes is only going to cause more trouble for the everglades, because normally when pets outgrow people, even some less responsible pet owners at least think to rehome before setting their beloved pets free. now, if snakes are banned from sale, that won't even be an option, so people will be more likely to release in an effort to give their pets a fighting chance.
 
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