Well since I'm very much a part of what went on with Andre on BPNet that's ended up here perhaps I should wade in here and clarify my role. Basically folks, even though I've been a member here awhile I've only recently started posting so you don't know me from Eve and quite honestly really should be wary of me...that's just being smart. Here is my reasoning behind going public with a private AIM convo.
First off, I do not save private conversations as a general rule. I find that morally wrong...private is private. In this case my concerns regarding ill snakes being kept within a healthy collection, my concerns that what was being said to me was in direct conflict with public statements by Andre, and that two of his snakes were up for sale gave me pause. I did save the conversation and I still have it in it's entirety. It however has NOT been shared publically. I asked Andre permission to do so, however, he has yet to grant me that so it will remain private other than my small references to parts of it. I consider this a courtesy to Andre to seek his permission before posting an entire AIM conversation.
Secondly, I have a long history of private conversations with Andre. I have always responded to his queries and attempted in my own small way to assist him. Both as a hobbyist with a deep love and fascination with snakes as well as a parent of teenagers, I felt honored to try and assist this young keeper. I was always concerned that there seemed to be little adult supervision and direction for him and that he was going to get in well over his head. I've cautioned Andre many times about doing business as a minor, at one time about his interest in aquiring giant snakes (in that case an anaconda) due to his age and lack of help to handle a giant safely, and in fact, had a conversation with him about that whole "blush albino" deal well before he made the deal (I'd never heard of this morph and was concerned the kid was getting taken advantage of).
When this recent conversation came up I struggled with what to do about it. I asked two trusted friends for advice as I did not want to come across as a hard ass or get accused, as Al has done, of being part of some sort of lynch mob. In the end though folks I went with my own gut on this. I sat back and thought "if this was an adult would I be hestitating?", am I giving this person leeway to lie, to sell snakes exposed to illness and put the buyer's collection at risk, can I watch a sale knowing that full disclosure has not been met....just because Andre is a minor? Perhaps some will judge me harshly on this but for me, as much as I find this whole thing incredibly distasteful, I am content that I made the right moral decision to come forward.
I hope when you view my posts here and at BPNet that it is clear that this is not about Andre, or him being a minor, it is simply my concern that anyone would say one thing publically to make a sale, then repeatedly say things privately that are in direct opposition. I gave Andre repeated opportunities to be very clear on his husbandry of the snakes, his quarantine practises, etc. Over and over in our AIM conversation he confirmed that what was the "truth" on his sale thread...was apparently not the same truth when he was speaking to me and another person in private. I could not allow myself in the end to be party to this or just ignore it and not care about the potential buyers and their collections.
I do hope that in the end Andre learns from this. It is harsh and I can't imagine it's very nice to go through. I certainly am not enjoying it and I can't imagine Andre is. I understand as a mother of teenagers that there is a rush to achieve and fit in, that sometimes teens do not have the fully realized moral standards of an adult but in the end, minor or not, if one wishes to establish a business that depends so heavily on honesty and being forthright...then you must play by the rules or end up in this sort of mess.
