This is what we're up against

[blindfireak40]

Read this (http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Holy-snakes-Star-running-back-survives-reptile-?urn=highschool-wp5078). Pay particular attention to the coach's comment. This is why I seriously hope whatever career I end up in allows me the time for educational visits to schools.

[Kayla90]

Ugh that's disgusting. I swear some people just don't deserve life, it makes me so sad and angry when people hurt animals just because they think they are evil. You ask me, human's are the 'evil' ones!

[UwabamiReptiles]

I saw this earlier today as well. Its sad because this is how the majority of people view snakes. The really sad part is that it would only take a little education for people to realize that most snakes are harmless and the "all snakes are bad" mentality would go away. I just really hope it wasn't one of the players playing a prank because then they basically caught the snake just to kill it.

[youngster]

He "survived" "all snakes are deadly in my book." It was probably a freaking garter snake! Sheesh...

[Snakefood]

IMHO, evil didn't exist before humans, back then all there was, was nature.

[youngster]

IMHO, evil didn't exist before humans, back then all there was, was nature.

Yeah we screwed up the world :P big time.

[blindfireak40]

I saw this earlier today as well. Its sad because this is how the majority of people view snakes. The really sad part is that it would only take a little education for people to realize that most snakes are harmless and the "all snakes are bad" mentality would go away. I just really hope it wasn't one of the players playing a prank because then they basically caught the snake just to kill it.

Nooo kidding...I really really hope I become independently wealthy by 30, then I can spend the rest of my life educating the public about reptiles...how great would it be if there were "Herp Camps"?? You know, there's camps for skateboarding, for soccer, for football, EVERYTHING. How about a facility where kids can learn about reptiles/other small(ish) animals for a week during the summer? If I had the money to put it on for free, I would in a heartbeat.

If need be, I can totally settle for making trips to schools, but I'd love to do a summer camp thing...

[youngster]

Nooo kidding...I really really hope I become independently wealthy by 30, then I can spend the rest of my life educating the public about reptiles...how great would it be if there were "Herp Camps"?? You know, there's camps for skateboarding, for soccer, for football, EVERYTHING. How about a facility where kids can learn about reptiles/other small(ish) animals for a week during the summer? If I had the money to put it on for free, I would in a heartbeat.

If need be, I can totally settle for making trips to schools, but I'd love to do a summer camp thing...

I would be your first customer. That sounds like so much fun!

[Snakefood]

I'd send my son (if I could come too;))!!

[blindfireak40]

Exactly!! It's something I remember wishing there was when I was growing up...and imagine if one were to build a refuge of sorts with a maintained population of indigenous, non-harmful species...opportunities to observe the reptiles in some semblance of a native environment! Soooo many ideas, I guess I'll just have to make it big and then make it happen! :)

[ladyjustice33]

My 12 year old asked me the other day "why are so many people afraid of snakes and hate them?" I told her some people are afraid of what they don't understand I guess or they were raised by people that fear all snakes and pass that fear on to their kids and so on. That article is a prime example. People have no respect for life and it is ridiculous. The first day of school this year, one of Alli's teachers asked the students to state their name and tell something about themself. Alli told them her name and that she had 4 snakes, lol!!! Teacher was nice and asked questions but said she didn't like snakes; however, a few of the students were very interested and asked questions in that class and others. I told Allison see, here is your opportunity to talk about your snakes and educate some of your peers on what wonderful creatures they are. By the end of the day, one kid asked if he could come to her house and see them, lol......she told him maybe, lol!

[blindfireak40]

Huge kudos to you, Kat!! You should be very proud of Alli, she sounds like she has her head screwed on straight, and she DEFINITELY has an opportunity, like you said, to help educate her peers! Good luck to her; maybe when the snow grows up she can take him in for show and tell :)

[presspirate]

Just affirms my viewpoint that people suck.:mad:

[stephanbakir]

Someone slap that coach.

[Gungirl]

I think its really lame that they had to put that in the news... with all the other things going on....??

[ladyjustice33]

Huge kudos to you, Kat!! You should be very proud of Alli, she sounds like she has her head screwed on straight, and she DEFINITELY has an opportunity, like you said, to help educate her peers! Good luck to her; maybe when the snow grows up she can take him in for show and tell :)


Thank you!! Alli said she would love to bring her corns in for a show and tell when they are bigger and not so easily stressed and I hope one day she will be able too!

[youngster]

I think its really lame that they had to put that in the news... with all the other things going on....??

It's high school sports news :P

[Gungirl]

It's high school sports news :P

Haha thats what happens when I don't have enough coffee before I try and think... I missed that part. :)

[blindfireak40]

Stephan & Greg: I know, it's so ridiculous. "All Snakes are deadly in my book"?? There are exactly 6 venomous species in Arkansas, and every one of them is extremely distinctive in patterning, size, behavior, or coloration.

Kat 1: Yeah, you gotta love Yahoo's news system...Immediately after that article, they had one discussing "What men want out of a first date", then a short history lesson about the Burning Man festival. And in spite of the fact that it was "high school sports news", it was on the front page of Yahoo.

Kat 2: Here's to hoping whichever teacher she has when it comes time to bring 'em in isn't deathly afraid of snakes lol

[shaunyboy]

Just affirms my viewpoint that people suck.:mad:

^^^^^
you know i am of the same way of thinking greg

99.9% of people suck.....!!!

cheers shaun

[Snakefood]

well unfortunately, people fear what they don't know/understand. Sadly, when humans fear a fellow creature, it never goes well for the creature. We as human's area destructive race. and the only species on earth (IMO) capable of true hate.

[Nismo89]

You'd be surprised at the stories that get cut from local news just so something like this can be on there. I work in production for a news station and its just ridiculous how the stories get re worded and changed just so they can reinforce their own viewpoints.

[Snakefood]

Oh, I am well aware having worked in dog rescue for the last 20 yrs or so. we fight this all the time about what people refer to as pitbulls (really any med sized short-haired muscular breed will be considered a "pitbull" in a dog-bite/fight situation, especially once the news gets hold of it!)

I like to send people to Pet Pitbull - Find the Pit Bull (http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html) . Practically no-one could find the one dog there that is actually a "pitbull" ( The American Pitbull Terrier).

It just goes to show that the ONLY way to fight this kind of ignorance is as much PRACTICAL education as possible throughout our upcoming generations!!

[Nismo89]

Any dog can be trained to be mean and fight its all about how the owners care for and train the dog. I've owned a couple pits that were just as cuddly and lovey as my two goldens. It's the people who want pits to fight that give them a bad name.

[Snakefood]

You know that.......... I know that.............. fighting AGAINST the media storms to educate that masses is the big battle.

I have had many types of the bullies come through my doors, both as forever friends and rescues. EVEN the ones trained to fight can end up being the perfect companion animal once it is removed from that situation. They don't want to fight, they have to. And once they are exposed to a loving, stable home all but the MOST damaged take to it as a life saving grace!!

On a humerous but stupid note, the strata manager of my old place actually tried to make me sell for going against strata and getting a "pitbull puppy" (strata said "no bully breeds" Venninne was a full-grown adult Rat Terrier!!