Food for Thought

[Valentine Pirate]

http://ballpythonbreeder.com/2012/07...erpetoculture/

I'm not trying to spark a huge political hate fest here or create an instantly polarized argument, but I found this blog post very good at getting some wheels turning in my head. Politics frustrates me to no end, and before I kept reptiles I pretty much stayed out of it. However, with the increasing amount of (ignorant) legislature popping up both federally and at the state level, I'm finding myself actively debating and educating friends/family/acquaintances/random strangers about exotics, H$U$, PETA, etc. It's personally important to me and given me an ability to scrutinize other issues and organizations I hadn't thought to even look at before.

What are your thoughts? I'm struggling with trying to come up with a more specific set of questions, but I'm eager to hear some opinions on the whole matter and get a bigger picture. If the mods think this would be more suited to the quarantine area then please move this thread there. And if you're not in the states, what does the political state of reptile/exotic keeping look like there, and how do you feel about it/what are you doing about it?

[Anatopism]

Very interesting read, thank you! This is something that I've also thought about with the upcoming election. I am not sure how I would classify my political alignment, other than perhaps frustrated, frequently apathetic, and suspicious...but this article definitely gives something to think about. It applies to other areas of life as well, not just reptile ownership, and I do wish more people would stop voting for a candidate simply because of their party, and start voting for the issues that are most important to them. I wish ballots wouldn't even list names, but would instead tally up by individual items/topics that candidates are for/against. I think it would take a complicated algorithm though... and seeing how there seems to be a technical issue election after election... I can't see this idea going anywhere.

[sflanick]

i thought it was a great read but a little hipocritical at the end you cant say at the beging not to vote for a canidate based on one issue then at the end say in a nut shell " if you vote democrate you end reptile keeping" which in turn means "vote republican save reptiles" although it is true i might add so i guess what im really trying to say is.....VOTE RON PAUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!