Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've kept herps all my life, everything from gopher snakes to caimens (back when they were legal in my state) . I've bred rhac geckos for about seven years. I'm also a proud lifelong democrat and I vote in every election. I've frequented KS and made purchases/contacts through the site for at least 6 years.

As someone who is married to a mexican american and has a child of partly mexican descent I find some of the comments and images displayed here recently on the open forum hateful and threatening. I am also opposed to illegal immigration, but the idea of posting a photo of a millitary style weapon and appearing to imply that just mowing people down would solve all of our problems is not representitive of the America that my family (several of them veterans) has loved for over five generations. When did KS become a nesting ground for extemists?

You may be speaking to me. Not sure which post you are referring to.

My point being - we've got a problem on the border. The problem is in Mexico and the problem is here in the US.

Not a race, ethnicity or cultural issue. It is an economic issue, an issue of hypocrisy, and an issue of our Government's failure to enforce laws already on the books.

In fact, our very own Government is complicit and an active facilitatory/enabler to this problem.

Did you watch EL GENERAL?

You may be a Democrat, but you are using a long held Republican tactic of basing your "nesting ground for extemists" Hater argument on a false premise, for I am neither a Hater nor an Extremist.

I follow Ben Franklin's axiom of "all things in moderation" and I'm of no political persuasion one way or another. Pretty much a pragmatist/consensus builder. The only thing I insist on in Government and business is honesty. "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining" kinda guy. Washington is overrun with that mentality.

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I was responding to a comment and image posted by jasonmattes on july 13, and a post made by someone else comparing invasive pythons with invasive people. Again, I do not support illegal immigration, but I am concerned with the tendency of some to dehumanize those who they oppose. History tells us that it leads to nothing but sorrow.

This problem is deep and complex. It is not as black and white as good people vs. bad. The drug dealing issue, frightening as it is, is greatly compounded by the fact that our own legal citizens have an enormous appetite for illegal drugs. The gangs are of course eager to fill the demand. Why not legalize it all so the criminals can't price it?

I agree. That's why I said the problem is also in America, not just Mexico. Our appetite for drugs only funds terrorists. I'm all for decriminalizing drugs (end user). It's a medical issue. Building more prisons is a waste of time and money.
My point, once again is - when is America going to start making some smart laws, regulations, and policies? Seriously, time for a paradigm shift. It's now the 21st Century.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer