Local breeder screwed over by neighbors!

[TheSnakeGuy]

Someone should make a webpage for us to get him some donations to move to a place where his collection isn't unlawful. Or he needs to get a bank loan and use it to move into a new house and let a realtor sell his for him.

[MasonC2K]

I think the cheapest solution would be to get a business license and rent a small office space to put them.

[Raven01]

I am truly sorry for his circumstance. However I cant leave a positive comment. The law is the law! You have to follow it or you get in trouble. He is lucky that they didn't take them from him and slap a huge fine on him. He needs to obey the laws in his community so shame on him. The city of Newport News, VA has an ordinance against boa constrictors. When I lived there I was in the same situation. I had 30 days to get rid of them. I MOVED out of city limits! I was in violation it sucked but it is what it is.

"The law is the law" is the refrain of the unthinking.
Law has nothing to do with justice. Especially in a democracy where "mob rule" is standard practice.
It used to be illegal for people of different skin tones to do the same things as other people. Like attend certain schools.
It is better to try to live as a just person and take a stand than to be a "law abiding" drone.

Get more people to think like that and you will soon see councils repeal idiotic bans for fear of being ejected from office.

[MasonC2K]

"The law is the law" is the refrain of the unthinking.
Law has nothing to do with justice. Especially in a democracy where "mob rule" is standard practice.
It used to be illegal for people of different skin tones to do the same things as other people. Like attend certain schools.
It is better to try to live as a just person and take a stand than to be a "law abiding" drone.

Get more people to think like that and you will soon see councils repeal idiotic bans for fear of being ejected from office.

Unfortunately, some guy taking a stand for his snakes won't have nearly the impact of Rosa Parks not getting off a bus for a white dude.

[Raven01]

Unfortunately, some guy taking a stand for his snakes won't have nearly the impact of Rosa Parks not getting off a bus for a white dude.

You are correct if you make it about just snakes.
Instead make it about property rights and allowing others irrational fears to impact your freedoms.
If what you do does not real harm then there is no need to govern it at all. If there is harm or potential for harm then only those aspects should be governed.
i.e. A crazy cat-lady could create a health risk for people and the animals but, a dedicated cat fancier could house just as many felines without those risks.
The problem needs to be addressed not the symptom.

Hope that clarifies it a bit.

And, it never hurts if affected communities can get behind a person like this and help fund a defence.

[wilomn]

You are correct if you make it about just snakes.
Instead make it about property rights and allowing others irrational fears to impact your freedoms.
If what you do does not real harm then there is no need to govern it at all. If there is harm or potential for harm then only those aspects should be governed.
i.e. A crazy cat-lady could create a health risk for people and the animals but, a dedicated cat fancier could house just as many felines without those risks.
The problem needs to be addressed not the symptom.

Hope that clarifies it a bit.

And, it never hurts if affected communities can get behind a person like this and help fund a defence.

I suppose we could rally for world peace while we're at it too, eh? For someone who likes to see his own words so much, you really don't have much of use to say.

The guy moved in, had illegal animals and got busted. I suppose finding out why and when this ordinance was put into effect and what the proper procedure is for changing it never entered that sharp little mind of yours.

This is no one's problems but Cobbs's and he brought it on himself. It's not up to us to change this. If you want to change the way things are done where you live then you need to NOT be the cause of enforcement of what you want to change. Proactive, not reactive.

And a house with a hundred cats, the crazy cat lady minimum, be it a dedicated fancier or whack job, still has NOTHING to do with keeping snakes.

[Evenstar]

"The law is the law" is the refrain of the unthinking.
Law has nothing to do with justice. Especially in a democracy where "mob rule" is standard practice.
It used to be illegal for people of different skin tones to do the same things as other people. Like attend certain schools.
It is better to try to live as a just person and take a stand than to be a "law abiding" drone.

Get more people to think like that and you will soon see councils repeal idiotic bans for fear of being ejected from office.

No it isn't. "You can't change the law" would be a better example of a refrain for the unthinking. Laws can be changed. But you have to work WITH the law in order to do so. Laws are in place for a reason and society would be anarchy without them. Some laws make sense and others, unfortunately, do not. Those that don't make sense, such as this one, are the laws we'd like to change.

But this is not the situation that will govern change - at least not while Cobb is still, for all intents and purposes, still breaking the law (which, like it or not, he is still doing by continuing to have these snakes in his possession and still living in a community that has an ordinance against owning snakes). Do not get me wrong - I would like nothing better than to see this law changed so Cobb could have his snakes back. But in order to effectively advocate change at ALL government levels and promote the responsible keeping of our beloved reptiles, we MUST work with the law and not cry INJUSTICE when one of our own breaks a law - no matter how idiotic that law appears on the surface.

For Cobb, or anyone else, to wail and cry because he got caught breaking the law and then beg and plead for the community to take legislative action and just change the law so he can keep his snakes and not have to move is hypocrisy at it's best and causes our hobby far more harm than nearly any other type of situation. I say again, find out what your local laws are BEFORE you are in an enforceable situation and work WITH the law to see change.

By the way, not to sound snippy, but accruacy is everything when building an argument. This country is NOT a Democracy. We are a Republic.

This is no one's problems but Cobbs's and he brought it on himself. It's not up to us to change this. If you want to change the way things are done where you live then you need to NOT be the cause of enforcement of what you want to change. Proactive, not reactive.

Wilomn is exactly right - do not be the cause of what you want changed. Be proactive, not reactive. Excellent statement and point.

[BrandiR]

"The law is the law" is the refrain of the unthinking.
Law has nothing to do with justice. Especially in a democracy where "mob rule" is standard practice.
It used to be illegal for people of different skin tones to do the same things as other people. Like attend certain schools.
It is better to try to live as a just person and take a stand than to be a "law abiding" drone.

Get more people to think like that and you will soon see councils repeal idiotic bans for fear of being ejected from office.

Personally I don't think we should even have laws. Speed Limit signs should simply say, "Use Your Best Judgement". The human race can totally be trusted to police themselves.


On topic - I feel really bad for this guy, but it's the risk he took. At the end he talked about a few irresponsible keepers ruining it for everyone and he put himself in that category when he moved in with all those snakes. There's more to being a responsible pet owner than just taking good care of the animals.

[DooLittle]

I feel really bad for this guy, but it's the risk he took. At the end he talked about a few irresponsible keepers ruining it for everyone and he put himself in that category when he moved in with all those snakes. There's more to being a responsible pet owner than just taking good care of the animals.

This ^^

[STjepkes]

I agree with wilomn.

And I really don't like the "It's like taking the lollipop from your kid's hand," analogy he makes... equating live animals to candy.