Outraged!!!

[Delphinus]

I guess this hobby brings out passionate beliefs in people and it's difficult to express this in a forum without it get inappropriately heated and personal. I've been reading every post and I see both good points and flawed logic in here. To quote Yoda, let go of your anger. Ultimately this is a sad story regardless what we feel about any individuals.

Debate nice please. I'd rather not see this get closed.

[jtbadco]

I agree 100%

I believe in speaking out against any wrong doing I consider significant. It doesn't matter if it's a LFS or a major bank. Bad is bad. Nothing personal at all.

And I am not angry so much as disappointed really. Being stuck smack in the middle of the country makes for poor accessibility to the whole SW industry. We have very few local SW suppliers, and their access to good products and equipment is limited.

SWC is/was one of only a handful of local SW shops and I can't deny that they make some good equipment. They are one of the largest dedicated SW stores, if not the largest in Winnipeg. That is what makes this so sad. He was making an important contribution to the hobby, locally and internationally.

[jorjef]

Originally Posted by jtbadco

And I am not angry so much as disappointed really.

Originally Posted by jtbadco

As far as I'm concerned they should throw the book at him. Maybe a $1M fine and a couple years in jail will teach him a lesson.

Originally Posted by jtbadco

My main objection is that he is allowed to stay in business.

No anger there, just say'in..... Yes, yes Mindy I know, but they were being jerks too!! I admit my comments are usually not of a constructive type but I don't agree with some of the comments and wasn't going for a sugar coated compromise to the subject, they came out gunning hard and I disagreed with some of their views.

[Zoaelite]

These are not the liverocks you are looking for...

[jtbadco]

No anger at all. He has never hurt me directly or personally.

I don't feel he should be allowed to stay in business. My opinion.
The fine and jail time are what he is facing as stated in the article, just a fact.

You don't need to be angry to stand up for something.

[Myka]

I also think that a big stink should made out of this so that the public knows that us hobbyists do not agree with this type of behavior. With what is going on with the proposed ban in Hawaii, stuff like this does not help our hobby!

Originally Posted by jorjef

Yes, yes Mindy I know, but they were being jerks too!!

So if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you, too?

[jorjef]

Originally Posted by Myka

So if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you, too?

No, I just yell at them as I watch them fall....There is nothing "right" about being in this hobby, no thinking we're ethical just because we rally about the extremes in the industry either good or bad. We still keep captured wild animals in a small glass box. If a person has a problem with the way the industry is they should leave the hobby rather than support it.

[fishytime]

Originally Posted by jorjef

No, I just yell at them as I watch them fall....There is nothing "right" about being in this hobby, no thinking we're ethical just because we rally about the extremes in the industry either good or bad. We still keep captured wild animals in a small glass box. If a person has a problem with the way the industry is they should leave the hobby rather than support it.

This is true..... But if we choose to be involved in this hobby, however selfish that may be, then we can also choose to support retailers that do things legally...... No?

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by fishytime

This is true..... But if we choose to be involved in this hobby, however selfish that may be, then we can also choose to support retailers that do things legally...... No?

thats where i stand too......without laws and regulations to follow alot of stuff would go downhill pretty quick......whats so hard about obeying the law???

[jorjef]

Originally Posted by fishytime

This is true..... But if we choose to be involved in this hobby, however selfish that may be, then we can also choose to support retailers that do things legally...... No?

Sure that's what we do when we decide where our dollars are spent. There would be people/retailers that would have bought the rock regardless of how it was obtained I don't think he would have brought in 10 tons without a few of them being pre sold or at the very least knowing he could move it. How can anyone be certain the rock they have in their tank, the fish they take home or the corals they buy are 100 percent legal. With an industry that starts mostly in impoverished nations you could hardly blame a local for cutting a few corners (or breaking the law) to feed his family. But when that product hits the shops who can say with complete certainty that it was brought in legal.