Tom,
        Right on Tom.  Go get'em!  I heartily agree with your response to
Mark.  Lynn also has put it very eloquently.  You two should run for
President and Vice President in 2000.  I'm sure that the agendas would
change.  Keep it up.  "President of what?", you ask.  Of the United
Statres, of course.
Dan
 
 
>Mark,
>
>Nice colors!!!
>
>I agree on the need for sensible regulation.  Without it you get
>impossible laws written by well meaning but ignorant people or fanatics
>with an agenda.  The laws come eventually, like it or not.  As to your
>concern about my collecting lizards, actually, I only have one lizard at
>the time and she is captive bred and born, as were her parents.  The
>same can be said of all  but two of my snakes (out of 13) and both of
>those were rescues.  Most of the rescued types get returned to their
>habitat after the wounds heal but these two have stayed around.
>
>On the shell collecting side of things we have quite a few laws that are
>not very well thought out or are, at best, unenforceable.  We have
>fairly well funded folks out to enact all kinds of legislation to
>protect something -- which almost always means limiting someone else's
>freedom.  I have talked to them locally; got nowhere but it was a try.
>We have all talked to folks who admired our collection but were aghast
>when they hear the shells were live collected.  I know not all
>collectors do this but lets be real, it is the norm.  Often the same
>person who was appalled at your collecting a few live specimens will
>thoroughly enjoy scallops or conch fritters or whatever.
>
>I don't mean to jump on a soap box here but the laws limiting collecting
>will come whether we like it or not.  Our best bet is to stay informed
>and make sure when your community attempts to legislate shell collecting
>(or whatever) you speak up and keep things sensible and in perspective.
>As one who has worked to do this in other areas, let me tell you it is
>not easy.  Busy legislators listen to whom ever they believe has the
>answer.  Even though that answer may come from a heavy-handed, limit or
>restrict everything, agenda.
>
>I must have been a preacher in another life, sure felt good,
>
>Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA
 
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