I have not been active recently because I have been quite busy, but I have read the occasional forum. Unfortunately, what I used to regard as a place to trade ideas and thoughts about ball pythons has become something distasteful. I see more and more things that only entice anger and argument, rather than informed discussion. Recent ones have sparked my need to express my opinion; although, there are others as well.

There was a picture recently of a King Cobra eating an Albino. Well, I understand quite well that this is a natural phenomenon for quite a few of the snakes of the world. However, is not naturally occurring for a King Cobra to eat an Albino, they live other regions. I read that it happened because the Albino had died and was being maximized as a resource, I suppose. Out of death came life, but I not see the need to make into a joke. Death is not something is funny. It is not something should be taken lightly. Even in regards to animals especially by people that love the animals. I do not see it happening very often in any other trade. I could be wrong, but I think that respect of death is something generally accepted by people. The issue that bothers me most is that the people that spoke against the photograph were quoted in a mocking manner. It is highly disrespectful, in my very honest opinion. I understand it is debatable by taste/values. But, I do not see the need to mock people for expressing their opinions.

Then there is a more recent one about freezing baby normals. I understand this topic is sore because it is offensive to those that do not freeze them. However, think it is necessary to understand that in all trades there are people that do not do good things to their animals. My opinion on it is that freezing is not humane thing, as someone had stated. However, I disagree that there is a humane way to take life from a being. Being humane is to invoke compassion and sympathy. To kill a creature in a swift, less painful manner that is dying, so long as they approve, I suppose is humane. However, anything capable of living is not. Regardless of how normals are killed, if they are healthy, it is not humane. My issue here is privacy. People are entitled to privacy. The person that referenced a colleague of his/hers that freezes the baby normals has to respect the privacy of said colleague. It would be entirely out of place to say the colleagues name because it would defy their privacy. They did not say they froze mice on the forum, and I do not see why they would after reading some of the replies. I have said that I understand the need to trade ideas. But, I am a firm believer that it can be done in a calm and collective manner without any snide remarks or privacy infringing statements.

It is not so much the topics that bother me, if they are appropriate. I feel that most have been, but there are a few that have not. It is the behavior of the people that saddens me. As a thriving and expanding community of breeders I expect more. A community does not grow in a healthy manner when its people are war-torn, so to speak. The manner of discussion has become a war with words rather than an enlightened collection of ideology.