snake haters

[Oxylepy]

The people that are my friends have more class than to react in such a way. The ones that dont like it typically react by telling me they are not interested in snakes or do not like them.

I dont associate with many of the people at school or in the area I live in, too many drug addicts, people into the hip-hop/rap scene, etc who I feel are not really worth my time (mind you I know drug users who are pretty good friends as well as people into hip-hop/rap who are good friends, obviously you cant take it to mean everyone in those groups and neither of which are meant to be racially motivated, too many people just assume that due to rampant racism in America. There is something more to it than that and if you've lived in low-income areas you probably have an idea of what i am talking about, if not consider yourself lucky to not have to deal with certain groups and mentalities). The people that I do associate with, again, would have too much class or human decency to make such remarks of hatred.

I have met more people curious about them than anything, some people in fact are in my phone specifically because they are potential owners who I will supervise the husbandry of prior to giving them free snakes (would rather give a free snake to a loving, knowledgeable home than to sell to someone I dont know, like a guy I once knew who kept 4 bps with no hides in a 20 gallon tall tank). I have met people who are reptile lovers of many years (and in one case had a tragic situation where they left their fiance and ended up having all their pets murdered) and people studying to be herpetologists or herp vets. I have met old women on the bus when transporting live food items who have reminisced about their girlhoods where they had a pet snake, a boyfriend with one, have always been fascinated with them, or who... well, had they been younger I would have taken them home to see my reptiles and probably ended up in a relationship with. I have met people who live in the section 8 housing area around where I live that went on to regale me with tales about all the people in the complex who had alligators in their bathtubs, walls of herps, etc.

I have met many people, and quite simply if someone initiates a conversation with you they are likely to be open minded enough, and decent enough, to not freak out or scorn you for reptile ownership. If you are a good gauge of character then you will likely never have a conversation with someone who wouldnt have the decency to bite their tongues and respectfully ask you to not talk to them about it.

In return if you are the kind of person with the decency to not up and talk to random people about your herps, be offensive in conversation, or just be respectful of the people around you, you often will not have to deal with such close minded sadistic reactions.

I have never had someone tell me a tale of killing snakes as a reaction to my ownership, although I have had discussions about it as the experience that made me love snakes was one of a potential bite and someone else saving me.

Notably my girlfriend was afraid of snakes but, through her questioning, requests, and actions is getting over it and has fallen in love with my female pastel, Persephone.