LakesideBoas said:
Deb, I would never try to patronize you! I sincerely apologize if you took my post that way.
I admire your gusto, your enthusiasm and your genuine concern for others that comes through in almost every post you make. You remind me not be as jaded and cynical as I might become without you, so please never think you're getting a milk-bone and a pat on the head from me.
Thank you, I know sometimes I have a hard time putting the ideal on the paper, there are so many things, actions, improvements that can be made in this trade.
The way I see it: The gas company has price controls, as does the housing and merchandising arenas. The reptile trade is largely unregulated and unless we regulate ourselves or set up our own watch dog(s)(stronger accountablity controls), I can see the government taking more and more control as we continue to show evidence that we are unwilling or unable to do this. We know what we need so who better to police us than ourselves?
Setting it up legally is another issue, but the first step has to be taken some time, somewhere by some one. We can't long expect these scammers to fly below the radar of the law. Eventually they will come into the gun-sight of some politican that wants to make a name and they will say when we speak up.."If you feel that you should be a "self-policing" community, why havent you been doing that?" and....they will more than likely bring up the same arguments that I did..too many people not wanting to be involved, trying to hold onto some "moral" clause while scammers continue to feed off everyone elses morals, having none themselves.
Visual: A person wades though a swamp and comes up with a ton of leeches sticking on him...he leaves them on because he's an animal lover and believes that "they have a right to live too"; he later dies because they bleed him to death.
farfetched..but that's how I see scammers and those that try to hold onto a moral standpoint when dealing with them. (move over Wilomn). They may not have done anything overt to US personally, but that's only because they haven't had the chance yet.
Seriously, with new diseases coming in..it may be a matter of time before CDC takes notice and steps in?
Scammers put us all at risk of losing our animals one way or another...some may think this may be the extreme way of viewing the situation, but given that so many have already lost collections, I don't think so.
I don't know..but until someone gets the idea and creates some software (or whatever these brainy people do) we won't be doing much but spinning our wheels. How many times have we read: "I would give them a second chance?" Oh my lord. 
