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Originally Posted by charlesc84
In the 5 boroughs of NYC, all pythons, boas, monitors, tarantulas and scorpions are illegal... So are a ton of mammals. Yup, you can't even get a ball python.
What does USARK do for NYC? Nothing. I'm all about supporting a good cause and all, but really, how did that even happen?
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USARK wasn't established until the middle of 2008. From what I understand, most of the laws you are referring to regarding the ownership of reptiles in the state of New York were already in effect at least a few years before then (2005-2006, as far as I can tell...still trying to find specifics). So personally, I kinda feel its a tad unfair to judge/fault an organization for not fighting hard enough to defeat a legislation when it didn't even exist when said legislation was established.
Once a law or bill is already in place, it is very difficult to repeal or overturn. 'Tis one of many sucky aspects of our legislative system, especially since there are so many stupid, redundant, and obsolete laws on the books. Be that as it may, by the time USARK actually came into its own in 2008, there realistically was very little it could do to overturn laws that had already been in place for at least 2 years. Regrettably, the damage had been done.
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Also, if anyone reading this knows how I can make a difference(regarding these dumb laws) and wants to fill me in, please do.
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My advice?
1.) First and foremost, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself on the facts. There are a lot of well-meaning herpers to there spreading TONs of misinformation about a lot of topics: about the Burms in the Everglades, why the laws are made, who's behind it, what USARK did, what USARK didn't do, why this happened or that didn't happened, etc, etc. The last thing we need is more false information being spread around; the media does enough of that already. Whether you're talking to a friend, or a stranger on the street, or doing a presentation in a classroom, it behooves you as a reptile hobbyist to have all the accurate info so that when someone asks you about this or that, you can give them as straight as answer as you can.
2.) I would start writing generalized template letters that basically defend the industry and hobby and ALREADY have them in place. So when a dumb law is on the docket, all you have to do is edit it a little, put the name of the congressman or govt official at the top, print, sign, stick it in an envelope and mail it. You should ALREADY have a list of your state officials: senators and representatives, so when the letter-writing campaign begins, you're running around in a panick "What do I write? Who do I mail the letters to?!"
Say what you will of USARK, but they make this process easy. When the time comes, they usually provide you with a list of who to write to, and a sample letter for that particular issue. If you're not cool with sending them a donation, AT LEAST get on their e-mailing list and their facebook or whatever, just so you can stay abreast of what is going on.
3.) If you're not already, get involved with your local herp community. Join a herp society. If there's not one, maybe you should start one! (that's what I did).
If you're just sitting at home, playing with your snakes, and only complaining about the dumb laws to your buddies on the web, you're not doing anything. We need to be united in this, not isolated.
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I read in the last Reptiles Magazine not to buy from stores that don't support USARK.
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Personally, I don't get REPTILES magazine, but in general, I stay away from all pet stores period! However, if there IS a pet store that actually knows what USARK even is, and what they stand for, and they're supporting them, then they probably DO deserve your money more than any others.
Once again, USARK is not perfect, but aside from PIJAC in a limited capacity, they are the only dog we have in this fight, at least when it comes to actually having a presence on the Hill, in the Capitol, defending our hobby. It doesn't mean we all just sit back and let them do all the work. We ALL need to do what I suggested above. Get involved. Have our facts straight and our letters ready. Be ready for phone-call campaigns, too. It's not easy, but it is effective.
Just some encouragement: I don't remember which bill it was (S.373 or H.R. 2811), but it was defeated because the reptile nation (that's us) wrote thousands of letters to their govt officials urging them to vote no on that bill. It was reportedly the largest letter-writing campaign since the Vietnam War.
Tell me that isn't effective.
Hybrid Mode
