Steph,
This whole topic started because you stated you feel pet owners were the ones responsible here is your post:
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--The flip side here is that we need to be more responsible as citizens.

It seems to me that the non-native animal problem can be traced to irresponsible owners, who, in turn may be able to lay *some* of the responsibility for their ignorance at the feet of unscrupulous or ignorant vendors.

Rational egoism (‘I’) is problematic. The paradox wherein acting in your best interest isn’t always in your best interest.

An apropos example:

Dumping a python in the Everglades when it outgrows it's cage or becomes too expensive to feed may not be a big deal, but when enough misinformed irresponsible snake owners dump multiple pythons, voila: native ecosystem becomes taxed. Ecological failure in the making.

Ecological failures could be exemplified by polluters acting in their own interest create aggregate environmental conditions with other polluters which in turn creates collective consequences to shared resources.

So, the fact remains that unless citizens decide to do a better job of governing themselves, we'll have Government trying to do it for us.--
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There is at least some evidence for our claim yours it based completely on your personal feeling or that of others who have said it. IF YOU SAY SOMETHING ENOUGH IT BECOMES THE TRUTH!!
That is what most of us thought when you first said it that you were just passing on info you thought was the truth because you heard it so many times. Now you are defending your possition and saying "well no one knows for sure!!" We will never know with absloute certainty about any of it so you go where there is at least some evidence.
The next thing people say when facing the evidence is well it was still neglagence by a dealer that caused it. I guess you have never been in a hurricane (You will probobly say Yes I have) but in the 1992 it was not certain where it was comming ashore oe how strong it would be. If this hrricane had been 25 miles north or south it everything would have been fine and you only knew exactly where it was going to hit and its strenth about 4 hours prior and even then there are alot of factors as to how much distruction is done alot of it is building codes which now have been improved. If you had 8 hours to get everything in your life secured ane had 50,000 animals would you have thought in 1992 I better get the berms secured better than everything else because if they get out they might survive in the everglades? No you you do the best to secure your building and hope it survives. An additional consern is where to go to be safe north south? Its a lesson we all learned about at Daytona a few years ago when we all left our safe houses and went to the reptile convention and it got hit that night by a hurricane.
As far as florida regulating the problem florida did by starting the ROC which includes an evacuation plan for your animals but this is not a ban like the AR's want so they move on as if there was nothing done.
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--the fact remains that, without a doubt, pet owners dump their animals on a regular basis and most importantly, the python (and exotic animal or plant) problem can be directly traced back to human actions, negligence or inaction.--
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This is a rediculas statement. how can you even feel you have any point if you are going to throw out such a general statement almost any problem on earth can be directly traced back to human actions, negligence or inaction.
And the dumping issue, if you renove dogs and cat from the equasion dumping is not that common.
this is enough for now I am sure you will have a big defence of your point.
Rob

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