That was a well written and intelligent essay by Colin Weaver.



To further what Colin advocates, I would like to add that, in my opinion, we, the reptile community, are loosing on all fronts when we should be winning. The reason for this, in my opinion, is that we have no identifiable winning strategy. We are always on the defensive; always debating the issues between ourselves, and always reacting to the latest bad news. This has to change.



We need both strategy and tactics. To appreciate the difference between these two concepts, I will use the game of chess as an analogy.



I once remarked to a beginning chess player that "Playing chess is like driving your car to the store.", where knowing how to drive is the tactics; how to manoeuvre in traffic; when to stop and when to go, and how to avoid hitting something or being hit by another driver. If you don't know how to drive, only luck will get you to the store. On the other hand, even the best driver will not get to the store if he has no sense of direction or how to navigate the way. Knowing how to get to the store is the strategy. Without strategy, again, only luck will get you to the store. So, you see, both strategy and tactics are essential for success.



We need strong leadership, a plan of action that incorporates both strategy and tactics, and good communication with all participants. Finally, we need to set aside our small disagreements and do what our leaders ask of us.

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