Hikers and rock climbers stick their hand into a crevice trying to find a handhold. Campers go walking around with their eyes on the distant vista rather than watching where they are going. Rather than defusing an encounter with a startled rattler by stopping all motion and slowly walking backwards out of strike range, many victims attempt to find rocks and sticks to throw at the snake, flailing their arms, stamping their feet, yelling and jumping around, all guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of, and elicit a strike response from, any snake. There are species which are already protected under state and federal wildlife laws and several others which are currently being evaluated for such protection. Rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal.
Network news has the power to educate, enlighten and elucidate.
Instead, you used this opportunity not to argue for protection of threatened and endangered species and habitat, but to glorify the slaughter of animals essential to their native environment by men and women who, with apparent glee and morbid fascination, watch and condone the torture and inhumane slaughter of these magnificent animals. In some parts of the country, similar gatherings are used to slaughter rabbits. Try running a bunny-shoot story reported in the same manner in which you reported the rattlesnake story and see just how amused viewers are. Those of us who are interested in reptiles, who study their ecology and natural history and who understand and respect their importance in their environment, were not amused. The data in the paragraph immediately following this quote is from the same page, paraphrased from the author.