Help The Aggie stand up for YOUR rights as a Texas pet owner ! ! !

This came from The Aggie.

A message from Dave and Tracy Barker



Dear Fellow Texans,
Last week Tracy and I met with a member of the staff of Senator Hutchison. He was very interested to hear about Senate Bill S373, the so-called anti-python bill (actually, pythons, anacondas and boas). We gave him a lot of printed information and he listened to what we had to say for over an hour. I feel that he will well represent our interests to the Senator. However, he gave us this good advice. Politics is a numbers game.

You bet it is. I spend a couple of hours at last night's Tarrant County Libertarian Meetup, listening to a guy explain how the numbers work.
Some doofus in the Senate has figured out that there are more people who are afraid of snakes than there are people who like them. This doofus sees an opportunity to get somethinig passed with his name on it. He or she probably claims that it's FOR THE CHILDREN ©

Our representatives only know what we tell them, and right now we Texans have not told the local offices of Senator Hutchison anything. We were told that we are the first and only people to talk with any of our Senator’s local offices on the matter of S373. If that is so, it seems likely that not many have contacted Senator Cornyn’s office, either. It may be that a lot of you have called the Washington DC office, that’s good. Hopefully all of you are contributing to the USARK letter-writing campaign.

Based on letters we have seen from Senator Cornyn’s office, he has taken a position to oppose S373. Senator Hutchison has not yet taken a position on S373. It is particularly important to call her offices and let her know that we Texans, her constituents, do not favor S373. So we all need to pick up the phone and make a quick call to the closest local office of each of our Senators. Please tell the staff who answers the phone that you oppose S373 and you want the Senator to oppose this ill-advised, Democrat-sponsored bill.

Isn't it funny how, after only one year of Democrat control, the phrase "Democrat-sponsored bill" is now an effective scare tactic?

If you have a business, if you breed snakes, If you are a vendor or a participant at reptile shows, if you have made an investment in snakes, you need to stress that this bill will hurt Texans and hurt the Texas economy.

The Aggie and I have been going to reptile shows ever since she got out of diapers. At one point we had 27 lizards in the house. One was a Basilisk named Norbert. If you've ever watched Animal Planet (The Aggie went through a stage where she turned all the TV's to Animal Planet and threw away all the remotes) you might remember seeing a long lizard running upright on top of a pond. That's how Basilisks got their nickname - The Jesus Lizard - since they can walk on water.

The first time Reverend Brett Younger saw Norbert, and learned of his water-walking abilities, he went on an extended riff about the now-extinct Simon Peter Lizard, which would try to run on the water, lose faith, and then sink.

You either think that's really funny, or you don't. I liked it.

Even if you just like these animals, and you feel that Americans should have the right to possess animals, then you oppose S373 and you need to let your Senators know.

Even if you don't give a rip one way or the other about people keeping animals, you should be aware that Congress knows as much about keeping reptiles as they know about Taiwanese socket set manufacturing practices. Nothing. Nothing at all.

Some people want money, some want fame. Government wants power and control.

The point that Tracy and I feel is most important is that S373 is an inappropriate national law for what is a local problem in a small area of South Florida. Any monies generated by S373 will go only to Florida, Texas will not benefit in any way and Texans who choose to keep and breed snakes will be damaged.

And besides that, it's none of Nancy Pelosi's damn business. Let's worry about getting the snakes out of Congress.

And please realize that as soon as S373 is voted on in the Senate, then we all face another bill, S669. This law will ban almost all herps from American homes. If passed, even in a modified form, you can bet that most exotic snakes and ALL VENOMOUS SNAKES will be banned. Even if you personally don’t keep pythons, anacondas or boas, realize that if we all don’t beat S373 now, we will probably not beat S669. Please call and tell your Senators what you think is bad about S373 and ask them to oppose it. The phone numbers for those offices are listed below. A call takes only a few minutes.

One more thing, please send letters to the USARK campaign, and that means two letters from you, and also letters that you print out that are signed by your mom, your dad, your co-workers, your friends, members of your PTA, your nature center—anybody and everybody you can think of. Go to http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TexasReptiles/cdaf3a35fe/9375505a95/168911799d for instructions and sample letters. We have to get them in the mail this week. We need a lot of letters! Don’t fail.

Thanks

Dave and Tracy

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

LOCAL OFFICES
Austin, Texas
512-916-5834

Dallas, Texas
214-361-3500

Houston, Texas
713-653-3456

San Antonio, Texas
210-340-2885

Abilene, Texas
325-676-2839

Harlingen, Texas
956-425-2253

Senator John Cornyn

LOCAL OFFICES

Dallas, Texas
972-239-1310

San Antonio, Texas
210-224-7485

Tyler, Texas
903-593-0902

Austin, Texas
512-469-6034

Lubbock, Texas
806-472-7533

Harlingen, Texas
956-423-0162

Houston, Texas
713-572-3337

Here's a Dave Barker video: