Spectacular Radio Show on Keeper's Rights & Fights

[WebSlave]

Crutchfield was right though. No matter how agitated you get. Freedom of speech. Basic right, correct? When my speech threatens, harms or slanders you then that freedom is out the window and I am subject to police action and a trial. If I call you at 3am threatening you or put posters all over town saying lies about you or your business; you can nail me in court if I ma found guilty. So you have that right to speak your mind until it threatens the safety or lively hood of another.
It is a privilege to keep these animals. It is not a right. It is a freedom, a liberty, the pursuit of my happiness. But if a lawmaker or judge finds any of those things to be of risk to a 3rd party public, they can pull the plug. No one's rights, freedoms or privileges may trump the right to not live in fear or have their safety in jeopardy. Politicians see it that way. Politicians are the ones we want to know majority of us are responsible. HSUS doesn't care. Truth was never a factor for them. Idiology was. That is why it is best to show them we are responsible and step up to the challenge of self regulating and writing our own rules. We won't get everything we want every time. But the goal is to make it so our opponents get as little as possible campaigning against us. Maybe if more keepers treated it as a privilege and not an entitlement there would be more respect and responsibility. Again, I'm not for permits, licenses and registrations. I know they just make it near impossible to acquire them in most cases. That's how it used to be here.

No one is entitled to being able to own an animal by any federal document. Law makers want a solution to what the public outcry is over, if we don't give it to them you know who will and it results in black market animals who suffer and "one generation and out" for future keepers.

*emphasis added


Sorry, but no. You seem to not understand what the US Constitution and subsequent amendments ARE and what they GUARANTEE to us, as THE PEOPLE of this country. The federal government does NOT have the legal right to grant us rights nor privileges unless that specific power has been granted to the government via the US Constitution. The Constitution recognizes and reaffirms those rights that we already have. The Constitution also delineates and itemizes SPECIFIC powers that the federal government has been granted upon it's creation with that document. And ONLY those powers. Anything not specifically indicated within the U.S. Constitution and amendments as being powers GRANTED to the U.S. Government over us concerning our rights are reserved for the states and the people of this country. The government can NOT legally claim that if they have not specifically approved what you do, then you do not have the right to do so.

Unfortunately this little detail concerning the founding of our country escapes (or is ignored) by a great number of people inside and out of government.

Probably one of the more intelligent members of the team that comprised the founding fathers of this country was Mr. Benjamin Franklin. When asked what sort of country had been created, he replied “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Even today, I doubt very many people understand exactly what he meant by that statement....

 

[Taking Up Serpents]

Perhaps I should clarify what I meant by federal document. The Constitution, Bill of Rights or any thing of sorts says nothing about a right to keep animals. There are arguments over the right to property and while they do follow a good point, if property can be perceived to endanger the public it voids the right to property claim. True we know the hype over large constrictors and such but it is the public and law makers perception that matters. That applies to state and federal levels of government.
If you can show me something that says I have the right to keep reptiles I'll gladly take it all back. It would only help the cause and we need all we can get.