Being that the "mainstream" does watch TV, and that people DO take things they see on channels like discovery or animal planet as word, I know this is true, as I do outreach and get the things said on those channels repeated back to me verbatim, It concerns me a great deal.

Its rather insulting that you would even suggest in jest that I might be "payrolled by the HSUS", as I am a long time member of KS, and a lifelong exotic keeper. I will say its great that you don't have cable. I do. I also view sticking my fingers in my ears about such things and going "lalalal - its not happening" - about stuff like this as a very bad idea.

The reason that I post these things, and this information on here is because I see this channel, that formerly took a more moderate stance on exotics and the people who keep and work with them, now amping up its approach in what seems a direct attempt to discredit and slur us as keepers and people. It even has webspace that reads like HSUS material. This is all happening during a time when we are getting a great deal of negative PR to begin with.

I think we should ALL as a community be aware of the things that are being said about us by these people.

I know they put stuff like this one the air for ratings, and I know they love free advertising when people talk about it. I STILL think there is a whole lot more to this then that though, and I feel we (the exotics community in large) are largely taking the whole thing laying down.

I guess to me, its like, are we just going to let them kick us to death while we play dead?

I believe its at our risk that we do not address and react in defense to these sort of things.

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