BOCA BEACON (Boca Grande, Florida) 21 April 06 Tampa students express views on lizard issue
Lauren Billington is a second grade teacher at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa. According to Lauren, "my students have become very interested in iguanas - especially the ones on Gasparilla Island."
"A few felt very strongly about sending letters stating their feelings and ideas," she said.
The students also included art with their letters.
The letters were written to Lee County Commissioner Bob Janes, Dr. Jerome Jackson and the Boca Beacon:
Please stop killing every iguana in sight. The tax is good, but also bad. You could send them to rain forests and remote islands. If you kill them all, you could make them extinct. You could use the tax to send them to the suggested places.
Thank you.
Charles Behrens
Change what you are doing to iguanas. You are killing my favorite animal - iguanas. I love iguanas. I have one and I am saving up for more, so you don't kill them. If you are still going to kill them, shoot them. Don't do it so it hurts them.
Page Blackburn
Instead of collecting taxes to kill or eliminate iguanas, collect the taxes to ship them to any island that no one lives on. I think that is a better idea.
Gabrielle Scolaro
Iguanas should not be getting killed. How would you feel if you were getting killed? So please do not try to eliminate the iguanas. They like living. The babies need to live a long life. They are dying in pain. If you see an iguana about to die in pain, don't freeze it and give it more pain. Just shoot it, only when it is in pain. I hope my letter changed your mind.
Alec Carlos Mirabal
Tampa students express views on lizard issue