Write to your reps!!!!!!!

newby · 04-17-09, 06:30 PM

i just sent this email to rep Ron Klein of florida on the H.R. 669 bill

In regards to H.R.669 i wish you to stop supporting this bill. i have several reptiles and i do not agree that because Burmese pythons have thrived throughout the everglades that a national ban need to be in place. i mean think about this. you will cost thousands of people their jobs, their pets(which are like family to us), and the joy of caring and providing for another creature. this bill is absolutely absurd and i wish to tell you that if you expect to run for a seat again you can forget it! i will make sure that you are in the spotlight in the media about this bill! this is a promise! i cant believe that you think that you and your little elected friends can play GOD and decide what can and can not come into this country! The Burmese pythons are surviving because a few stupid people got more than they could handle but it is also called survival of the fittest! not all creatures here in America were native and some did cause harm but that is the world! who are we to decide what can and cant happen here? nature will find one way or another to destroy the obsolete species. and here is a little question for thought! How are the burms taking over the everglades any different than man taking over the world and dominating all species of animals without a second thought? If this bill passes then you need to make it illegal to build any buildings or have dumps, factory's, power plants, because all this harms our wildlife as well. so i say to you again what gives you and your elected friends the right to play god? and here is another why would you basically create a depression by passing this bill? the reptile industry is the largest pet industry in the world and that is a proven fact. by passing this bill you will cause so much economic turmoil that we all might as well go live in a cardboard box. the wildlife that you claim is native to America isn't. nature does what nature does and it would behoove you to remember that next time you co sign on a ******** bill such as H.R. 669. because not only are playing as god but you are interfering in peoples life's and personally i believe it to be an infringement on a humans rights. i urge you to stop this bill and don't give me some cookie cutter response from your aids. i will personally come to speak with politely on this matter if i have to and i can bring some of my friends to if you want. when i say this i mean protesters that will help me spread the word about what evil you are trying to do. this government is corrupt as it is we don't need them butting in our business like this and disturbing our way of life. i will tell you this, if this bill passes i will not give up my pets and i will happily pay the fines to keep them. i really hope that you rethink what you are doing here. i mean this should be illegal to pass this bill period. so please i don't like to be mean like this but this bill has pushed me over the edge. i am sorry if i offend you but i must speak my mind because i helped elect you and i pay taxes every day. i do not want to this bill go into effect and ruin our country. so please stop supporting this bill because it will do more harm then good!

mykee · 04-18-09, 11:28 AM

Threatening your representative might not be the smartest thing to have done. I would also like to point out that name-calling is as childish as you can get, and your letter will not only never be taken seriously, but quite possibly used as an example of how uneducated and irresponsible reptile owners can be. A terribly poor example of what you are trying to accomplish.
Also, I hope you corrected your grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization before sending it.
It is one thing to feel you have the right to stand up to injustice, but it is also another thing to know your limitations as to whether or not your letter will be taken seriously. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization are such simple things to correct to make your letter go from something that actually took you time and intelligence to construct or somthing that you threw together half-assed with a crayon and constrcution paper.

I suppose since I'm already being an arse about this, I, as a Canadian, feel that this will not only not affect me as a breeder, but this bill being passed will help the breeders in Canada by forcing Canadian customers to buy their reptiles locally. In many cases, buying reptiles from over the border is far too difficult and expensive already, and banning the over-border from the US sales would strengthen our our reptile market and community.
Am I being selfish? Maybe, but watch me stand up and be spoken for when (though highly unlikely) when something like this gets gains steam up here in Canada.

citysnakes · 04-20-09, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newby

the reptile industry is the largest pet industry in the world and that is a proven fact. by passing this bill you will cause so much economic turmoil that we all might as well go live in a cardboard box.

really...?

mykee · 04-21-09, 08:34 AM

Yeah, I thought maybe the oil industry or the porn industry were the top two...

Chu'Wuti · 04-21-09, 04:34 PM

The oil industry is certainly doing the best economically of all industries, it seems. However, of pet industries, wouldn't the dog & dog-related products be the largest pet industry?

A U.S. citizen betting that HR 669 never makes it out of either the committee or the subcommittee to which it has been referred . . .

citysnakes · 04-21-09, 06:50 PM

haha maybe hes reffering to the reptile porn industry...

but i would think the dog section of the pet industry would be the largest.

**Aaron_S** · 04-22-09, 07:56 AM

I just like the fact that the word "behooved" was used in that letter.

I am getting e-mails from american forums that I am signed up with to fight this ban. I am unsure at this time what it exactly entails but I do not like the sound of it so far.

**Aaron_S** · 04-22-09, 08:06 AM

What I've found is that it's a permanent ban on pretty much all non-native livestock. I am going to post what I found on an American website.

ON April 23rd 2009 The Natural Resources Committee of the U.S. Congress will hold a hearing on H.R. 669, a resolution that will in effect ban importation, interstate transport and the private ownership of most birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish as pets. Should HR669 be adopted as written only the following nonnative animals
would be allowed:

any cat (Felis catus)
cattle or oxen (Bos taurus)
chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
donkey or *** (Equus asinus)
domesticated members of the family Anatidae (geese)
duck (domesticated Anas spp.)
goat (Capra aegagrus hircus)
goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus)
horse (Equus caballus)
llama (Lama glama)
mule or hinny (Equus caballus x E. asinus)
pig or hog (Sus scrofa domestica)
domesticated varieties of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
sheep (Ovis aries)

If this did happen at least then I could have reason to own goats like I always wanted.

Chu'Wuti · 04-23-09, 06:42 AM

That's not quite right. The animals you have listed would have an automatic exemption as they are domesticated livestock (agricultural animals) or extremely common pets (dogs, cats).

Other animals would be exempted or banned on a case-by-case (actually, species-by-species) basis. Species that are already so common that import restrictions would be useless will not be banned.

In addition, people can write in and propose species for inclusion on the list of accepted (or banned) species. Sure, it's extra work, but IF--and it's a VERY BIG IF--the bill actually gets out of subcommittee, that's what would happen.

You can access the full text of this bill here:

H.R. 669: Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (GovTrack.us)

Frankly, the likelihood that this bill bill get out of one of these (and especially both) committees is quite low, especially with the fact that USARK submitted nearly 50,000 letters to be used at the hearing this morning.

auburn_09 · 05-14-09, 04:48 PM

I thought you meant "write to your rep-tiles" lol I was like wow, how?!

Chu'Wuti · 05-15-09, 07:55 AM

LOL! We don't have to worry too much for awhile, as HR 669 died in committee. But supporting the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) in helping to develop reasonable laws would be a very good thing!

mykee · 05-15-09, 08:26 AM

HR669 may be dead in it's current form, but will be back bigger and stronger soon. Get ready for the BIG fight those of you south of the border.

Chu'Wuti · 05-17-09, 09:54 AM

Quote:

HR669 may be dead in it's current form, but will be back bigger and stronger soon. Get ready for the BIG fight those of you south of the border.

Yep, that's why I am supporting USARK--they are working WITH officials in various areas to help develop reasonable and appropriate laws.

I'm really excited--two herps shows coming up in my state in June!! and I'm being given herp enclosures, and I searching craigslist regularly for Exo-terra & other equipment . . . my poor DH!

GoodSmeagol · 05-17-09, 03:05 PM

I was shocked to find a town in Canada(Brampton) had such restrictions.
My shock was displayed in a fast typed horrible worded post.

But reading this 'email' was even more shocking. If a representive from any American 'House' took that seriously, I would lose even more respect for American Elected Officials.
To ever be takin seriously, a mutual respect must be established.
And as far as "who are they to decide what blah blah, you have no right to play god blah blah"
Actually, they are elected to make those decisions.
They are not god, they are simply leaders of your country.
Whos job, is to make laws for the betterment of the ENTIRE country, not just a small population.
I do not support the bill, but confronting any representative with out showing respect, will not recieve any respect... or support.

Will0W783 · 05-19-09, 10:26 AM

At least HR669 died in committee, but I'm sure there will be more bills like it in the future. I think it is ridiculous to even consider a federal ban, as the individual climates and habitats of the states are too varied for any reptile species to gain a national foothold in the wild. I live in PA, and if any of my snakes got loose, they would not last a month outside in the cool, dry climate. I'm sure we will have to fight more and more in the future to dispel the ignorance and fear surrounding reptile keeping. But I must say that I was appalled by the letter that newby posted- an outwardly rude, threatening, grammatically unsound tirade will NOT get us respect or even notice, for that matter. Think about it, if someone sent you an email like that, would you even bother to read it to the end, or would you get peeved and just delete it? We need to get our word out, yes, but in a professional, respectful manner, so that we will be viewed as intelligent, well-meaning, hard-working citizens and not childish name-callers and tantrum-throwers.