I’m not sure where to begin but I’d like to clear a few things up. The first is: NO I do not believe we won at Ontario. The California Fish & Game did what they always do when confronted by more than a handful of people, they blinked. It was obvious from the start that they didn’t expect 25 plus speakers plus all the other supporters.
I personally found out about the meeting less than a week before. I had a well thought out prepared speech, as did most of the people there. The curve ball was the Fish & Game Commission cutting our time back to two minutes. As I stated at the meeting there is no way anyone can present a coherent presentation in two minutes.
Second I’d like to thank everyone who showed up whether you spoke or not. I know of at least one shop owner that I contacted on Sunday who made up flyers and closed his shop just to be there. Besides us old guys there were a number of industry people there: Gary Bagnall owner of Zoo Med, PIJAC, USARK and quite a few others plus all the shop owners and private people. Once it became clear that Fish & Game was going to blink most of the people there decided not to speak. This was a good choice, why give away anything to these people right then because it gives them an idea of where we are going, save it for another day. A quick note on the person who lost his temper with the Commission. I truly understand how you felt. I have been elected to public office a couple of time in my life and I have NEVER seen public officials (yes I know they are appointed not elected) as arrogant or treat the public with as much disrespect as some of the members of the Commission did that day. It was all I could do to keep from telling them off myself. I believe what the Commission did that day by pre-judging their decision and a number of their comments will help us in court when (not if) it time to sue them.
What everyone needs to understand, is that this is not the first battle nor will it be the last. I have been personally involved in this fight since the mid 70’s and I have learned a lot on how to win. When Texas was getting ready to close down I tried to tell everyone to stop trying to be a “nice guy” because they really do finish LAST. I was told by a number of people “Oh, we can work with them, they just don’t understand.” Well yes they do understand and we can’t say in public what they did to you. Getting old is not fun sometimes but over the years some of us did learn a thing or two. Maybe some of you younger people will start listening to us old guys.
If you really want to start opening your eyes, get a copy of one of the first reptile magazines. It was called: National Association for Sound Wildlife Programs. Vol. 1 No. 2 from 1976. Read page 27 “Think Before You Give.” It is a press release by 14 so called Animal Rights and Conservation organizations in 1974. Item number 6 of the 26 points they espouse calls for a ban on all non-domestic pets be they indigenous or imported. They told us what they were going to do to us and we did Nothing! Well now there is something we can do just to start things off. Look at the names of these organizations and if you or any of your friends belong to any of them, write a letter today telling them you want your money back and why. Cut off the cash and they die! If you keep any kind of pet other than a dog or cat, or you fish or hunt these people are your sworn enemies and will do anything to take away your rights. Look around people all this is a well-coordinated strike at the heart of the pet trade. I remember back when they went after small mammals and the bird and reptile people said, “ well it really doesn’t affect me” No it didn’t did it. Then they went after the bird people and the reptile people said, “well it really doesn’t affect me.” Well people we are next and there’s no bird people or small mammal people to help us. These people are not nice guys, they will stop at nothing to get their agenda passed and they won’t let the truth get in the way.
I can tell you from personal experience that politics is a dirty nasty business and if we are going to win we need to be bigger, meaner and nastier than our opponents. If they get a thousand people to send letters to a politician we need to get two thousand. You need to start sending contributions to your local elected officials not just to a big organizations, even if its only $25 it has your name on it and their staff will remember you when you need to talk to them. Always use facts that can be backed up. These other groups will lie about anything to win and that’s where we beat them. If your trying to show that they are using junk science as in the report on the python ban make sure of your facts before you open your mouth. We need some of you younger people to work with us to setup web sites to expose the people behind all of this. DAYLIGHT will drive them back into the sewer that they came from.
Bad PR is killing us; all of us need to think about what we are doing from now on. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to someone’s house and they proudly show me their latest pet and they have it in a all glass tank with a screen on it with a brick holding it down and their newest pet is capable of killing half the town. I’ve known people who let their pet python that is 14 feet long have free run of the house even when they are sleeping! It’s time to start thinking about what we are doing other wise the government will take it all away.
Just a few of my thoughts and I’m tired of typing for today.
Michael Luhrs

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