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Should one be able to ride a manatee without interference from the government?

Should the government be allowed to forbid manatee riding?

  • No, riding a manatee is guaranteed by the constitution

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • yes, the government can forbid manatee riding

    Votes: 14 43.8%
  • the tea party has lost it's mind to campaign for manatee riding

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • I have a different opinion, see my remarks

    Votes: 8 25.0%

  • Total voters
    32
How is riding construed as harassing, harming or hunting? They are rather large animals and can easily "escape" if they feel harmed or harassed. Did the rider capture it and/or attach something to it? Perhaps a stern warning is in order, or posting a sign to deter the practice, but really - have we no other crime in Floriduh to deal with?
 
How is riding construed as harassing, harming or hunting? They are rather large animals and can easily "escape" if they feel harmed or harassed. Did the rider capture it and/or attach something to it? Perhaps a stern warning is in order, or posting a sign to deter the practice, but really - have we no other crime in Floriduh to deal with?



The rules about manatees can be found here: MANATEE - Manatee Rules and Regulations

Manatees are an endangered and protected species and may not be ridden or disturbed in many other ways.
 
I was really sure this was an Onion piece. Instead of the shark, the Tea Party just jumped the manatee.

I still cant quite get my mind around why the Tea Partiers need this explained to them.


The rules about manatees can be found here: MANATEE - Manatee Rules and Regulations

Manatees are an endangered and protected species and may not be ridden or disturbed in many other ways.
 
There's more to this story and you won't find it at Examiner.com. I'm not going to defend the TP when they do something stoopid, but their issue isn't about riding manatees but Federal control over what is basically a local and state issue.

Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees | Tampa Bay Times

It's not just the local 800 member TP...

"Tea party members are far from alone in opposing the new rules. The Crystal River City Council and Citrus County Commission contend the new regulations will be bad for the local economy. "

It's about the new far reaching federal regulations, not riding manatees.

IMO anyone posting an article from Examiner.com should be given an immediate 10 day suspension. It's just too stoopid to take seriously.
 
I really do hope you are right.
There's more to this story and you won't find it at Examiner.com. I'm not going to defend the TP when they do something stoopid, but their issue isn't about riding manatees but Federal control over what is basically a local and state issue.

Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees | Tampa Bay Times

It's not just the local 800 member TP...

"Tea party members are far from alone in opposing the new rules. The Crystal River City Council and Citrus County Commission contend the new regulations will be bad for the local economy. "

It's about the new far reaching federal regulations, not riding manatees.

IMO anyone posting an article from Examiner.com should be given an immediate 10 day suspension. It's just too stoopid to take seriously.
 
As long as you're willing to let the manatee ride you, I see no problem. If, however, you want to use the poor animals as your entertainment slaves, I'm not a big fan of that.

That said, there are many animals in the "wild" who clearly enjoy interacting with humans, such as dolphins - to me it has to be a mutually beneficial, symbiotic type relationship - man and dog, kind of thing - otherwise, I see it as abuse.
 
Manatees sleep under our dock, the largest collections of manatees in N. America gather in winter within waterway minutes of our home, and I'm FWC meaning it is my specific job to protect manatees. I see manatees - many - nearly every day.

Manatees are very people friendly, beneign creatures. Not very smart creatures. Related to elephants, ie trophical, they die if water temperature falls below 68. So in winter they come to our warm spring waters to survive and breed. Hundreds can gather together in clear, shallow water. They have little body fat, unlike people think. Strict vegetarians.

Riding a manatee doesn't hurt it and some would enjoy it. Some would. Others not.

The problem is that if people are allowed such contacts, soon they are carving their initials on their backs. Manatees should be categorized as "protected", but not endangered in my opinion.

Some of the regulations about manatees actually are harmful to manatees - particularly federal regulations by zippy pinheads.

As for "riding" manatees? No, I think not because then some people would go overboard and seek out manatees in their breeding and baby-raising areas where they gather. Do I think doing so is a serious offense? No. Just write a ticket and leave it at that.
 
As long as you're willing to let the manatee ride you, I see no problem. If, however, you want to use the poor animals as your entertainment slaves, I'm not a big fan of that.

That said, there are many animals in the "wild" who clearly enjoy interacting with humans, such as dolphins - to me it has to be a mutually beneficial, symbiotic type relationship - man and dog, kind of thing - otherwise, I see it as abuse.

How do you know when the manatee has given consent to be ridden?
 
There's more to this story and you won't find it at Examiner.com. I'm not going to defend the TP when they do something stoopid, but their issue isn't about riding manatees but Federal control over what is basically a local and state issue.

Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees | Tampa Bay Times

It's not just the local 800 member TP...

"Tea party members are far from alone in opposing the new rules. The Crystal River City Council and Citrus County Commission contend the new regulations will be bad for the local economy. "

It's about the new far reaching federal regulations, not riding manatees.

IMO anyone posting an article from Examiner.com should be given an immediate 10 day suspension. It's just too stoopid to take seriously.

The Tampa news is absurd! They literally ran a two page editorial how woman should disarm because being a rapes is just one of the natural roles for women - crap like that.

The dispute in Crystal River isn't about the Tea Party.
 
What I want to know is do manatees have the right to stand their ground?
I don't - but maybe they show you - kind of like when a horse bucks you in the nuts if he doesn't like what you're doing.
 
Two things here:
1) the Tea Party isn't an actual political party and local groups can call themselves anything, doesn't mean their chosen platform is shared by anyone outside their local group. They're much like the Occupy movement in that regard.
2) it's against the law to ride the manatees because there's no compelling reason for riding the suckers and the rest of us have to pay to have your dumbass rescued when the manatee crushes your moronic self.
 
What I want to know is do manatees have the right to stand their ground?

I could be wrong, but I don't think they do much standing - but I, personally, wouldn't be about to challenge a 1,200 lb beast's territory unnecessarily.
 
You ever notice how when a Tea Partier or the party itself, says or does something really stupid all the other Tea Partiers start talking about how the Tea Party aint really a Party...?
 
You ever notice how when a Tea Partier or the party itself, says or does something really stupid all the other Tea Partiers start talking about how the Tea Party aint really a Party...?

Kind of like Democrats when Joe Biden opens his mouth.
 
You ever notice how when a Tea Partier or the party itself, says or does something really stupid all the other Tea Partiers start talking about how the Tea Party aint really a Party...?

Ever notice how those who use the TP movement as a political foil conveniently don't understand it has never been a political party?
 
Two things here:
1) the Tea Party isn't an actual political party and local groups can call themselves anything, doesn't mean their chosen platform is shared by anyone outside their local group. They're much like the Occupy movement in that regard.
2) it's against the law to ride the manatees because there's no compelling reason for riding the suckers and the rest of us have to pay to have your dumbass rescued when the manatee crushes your moronic self.

This is the argument of the locals. The fed regulations in place to protect the manatee have resulted in the local population going from 100 to 500 in ten years or so. In other words, what's in place is working. But the enviro feds are using this stupid issue of the woman riding the manatee as an excuse to put new far reaching regulations in place (never let a good crisis go to waste). They want to prohibit ANY kind of water craft from the area. This is a tourist area that has grown and seen significant investment in that tourism. Hotels, restaurants, local curio shops etc. The new regulations might shut that down and cause a significant loss in investment, revenue and jobs.

It's an arguable position. You may not agree with it entirely, but one should take the concerns of the locals into consideration.

So it's not about riding manatees and i question the purpose of the OP in posting this questionable article from a questionable source with questionable goals which IMO was to spin to the good and intelligent participants of this site.
 
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Then why do so many people self identify as Tea Partier? I understand the point, I just find the denial amusing.
Ever notice how those who use the TP movement as a political foil conveniently don't understand it has never been a political party?
 
Feel free to travel down to your local horse track and shout your outrage to the heavens.

Agreed to a degree, but horses are not an endangered species and are domesticated animals. The manatees are wild.

I'm all for helping the manatees and see them prosper. But a balance based on sane and reasonable regulations need to be in place that balances the needs of the manatees with the needs and concerns of the local human voters and taxpayers.
 
Then why do so many people self identify as Tea Partier? I understand the point, I just find the denial amusing.

Same reason Occupy supporters, who are all over the map as to what Occupy is about, self-identify.

Just personally, the TP movement never quite seemed the right way to go for me, in any incarnation.
 
The mere existence of laws against something so inane warrants derisive laughter.
 
There's more to this story and you won't find it at Examiner.com. I'm not going to defend the TP when they do something stoopid, but their issue isn't about riding manatees but Federal control over what is basically a local and state issue.

Tea party members tackle a new issue: manatees | Tampa Bay Times

It's not just the local 800 member TP...

"Tea party members are far from alone in opposing the new rules. The Crystal River City Council and Citrus County Commission contend the new regulations will be bad for the local economy. "

It's about the new far reaching federal regulations, not riding manatees.

IMO anyone posting an article from Examiner.com should be given an immediate 10 day suspension. It's just too stoopid to take seriously.

Actually, I was informed about this issue when I watched the daily show, in there Michael Coffman, who supports the tea party was voicing his opposition to the interference of the government with, in this case, manatee riding.

Although it was something that also has to do with other issues but in this case it was manatee riding. Sure, they made it out like it was more an issue about loosing rights but saving animals is also an important duty of mankind and if the federal government takes measures to protect endangered animals than they should be allowed to do so.

The manatee is also protected by state laws so it is not just federal laws.
 
There is no reason to want to ride a manatee if it might cause them harm. Hey, I got an idea, maybe they could ride great white sharks instead.
 
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