Some people love snakes, some people hate them. Fear of venomous snakes in humans is natural, because some can be harmful or even lethal, but even so, only a very small percent of snakes are poisonous, and most people forget that, because they are uneducated about them. The general hatred towards snakes is developed beyond fear. Those that hate them will either be afraid of snakes from birth, or become brainwashed by the media.
Stories and movies such as “The Jungle Book,†“Rikki Tikki Tavi†and Indiana Jones all have snakes playing an evil character, a bad guy. These are the common stereotypes for any kind of snake. Just think, if you called someone a “snake,†you were probably calling them cold and treacherous, and not a legless reptile. Rarely will you find a snake playing the part of a hero in a movie. And on the news, you only ever hear of big snakes such as anacondas swallowing children, which is quite rare and unlikely. They don’t ever tell you of shy snakes being scared away by humans. Of course, the earliest trace of snakes being portrayed this way goes back to the book of Genesis, in which Satan takes the form of a snake in the Garden of Eden and fools Adam and Eve into sampling the forbidden fruits of the Tree of Knowledge. But this can be interpreted several different ways, just as we have so many different branches of Christianity. Satan is of course evil, and takes on many forms in our life. So, if for example, Satan became a dog, that certainly doesn’t mean that all dogs are evil and wicked as is he.
There are many common misconceptions about snakes that lead people to the idea that they are malevolent killers:
1) Snakes are slimy – Snakes are not slimy, they have smooth and dry scales and they do not ooze some sort of slimy secretion as the word slimy suggests.
2) Snakes are cold-blooded killers – It is true that snakes are cold-blooded, but that just means that their bodies do not produce enough heat. They only kill as a necessity to live, unlike humans, which can kill for greed and power. All heterotrophs have methods of killing: snakes either poison or crush their prey, lions have sharp claws for stabbing and tearing flesh, and humans use tools to stab, slice, or blow up other animals. So what’s so wrong about that? You must be a hypocrite unless you are vegetarian.
3) Snakes have cold, lifeless eyes – So do teddy bears. Snakes don’t have eyelids, so how can they avoid staring at you?
They do play important roles, such as keeping the rodent population in check. (Not that rodents are bad either)
So now the question: what is your opinion? Many people who have ever owned a pet snake can tell you that they make wonderful pets. Snakes are beautiful, graceful creatures. Even the more dangerous kinds are wonderful and fascinating. And even if one bites, you should know that it was a lot more afraid of you than you were of it. They bite only as a matter of self-defense. And if you must answer, take care to give a well explained opinion, not just another stereotype. It is quite true that most people will never be able to overcome their fears of snakes, but they should try to be a little more open-minded and stop going to methods such as killing them or running them over on the road, because most roadkill events can be avoided.
Thank you, I respect your opinions.
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