Well, if any of this stuff gets passed, it won't be MY fault that it happened, then. Look in the mirror.

USARK and the efforts of everyone in the herp community stopped these bills the FIRST time through by speaking out. This means...you're wrong. Sorry.
When enough people make a stink, Politicians actually pay attention to that. The fight isn't over, but it is long and exhausting, and that's what HSUS and the promoters of these bills will use. As people lose interest and stop speaking out, the apparent resistance to the bill will evaporate--that's when it can become a law. Not now. We have several politicians on our side, and we have to keep showing them support, as well as blocking and delaying the things our opponents are trying to slip through.

This is the last thing I expected to be doing when I decided to breed reptiles for a living. If I don't do it, it's like giving up my future without a fight. I hate politics, too, but if I want to continue to keep reptiles, I have no choice. Obviously you two are willing to give up yours without saying a word. Trust me, your garter snakes aren't even remotely safe from all of this. HSUS has them on the chopping block, too. They know how to play the politics game, and they're getting things done.

People who think this is all useless...are frankly uneducated in how the system actually works, and what's more, they haven't been paying any attention at all (well, the latter does lead to the former). We wouldn't still have the right to keep Burms in most of the US right now if it weren't for USARK and the reptile community's small efforts at letter-writing and commenting.

I'm sorry you think that our only chance to continue legally keeping reptiles in the US is a waste of your time.