dailu nebraskan
monday, august 28, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 2
Local exotic pet ordinance could constrict boa owners
By Randy Essex
A proposal by the city-county Health
Department that would ban "exotic"
pets in Lincoln has been called "silly,"
"absurd" and "too general" by persons
with interests in exotic animals.
The proposal defines an exotic pet as
"any poisonous or potentially dangerous
animal or creature not normally con
sidered domesticated." It includes monkey,
tarantulas, boa constricters, skunks, rac
coons and a multitude of other creatures.
Because of the proposal's general termi
nology, Ron and Diane Kolarik, owners
of the Gateway Pet Center, fear that any
animal could easily be included in the
ban.
"It's written so whoever is in charge
at the time may interpret it to include al
most any animal," Diane said.
Law needed
Alan Bietz, director of the Lincoln
Children's Zoo, had not seen a copy of
the proposal, but said the wording could be
reworked "so the law would be more suit
able to everyone." Bietz said such a law is
needed because the freedom and happi
ness of the animal is at stake.
"People aren't going to change their
life to suit the animal," Bietz explained.
"It's the animal that will have to change."
"I personally think the proposal is ab
surd," said Willie Sapp, 623 N. 30 St. Sapp
is the owner of a 3-foot Burmese python
which would be illegal for him to keep if
the proposal becomes law.
"It's silly to impose a ban on these
animals when many times more people
have been bitten by dogs than snakes,"
Sapp added. He said his snake is kept in a
j
Photo by Ted Kirk
Willie Sapp, the owner of a Burmese python, would have to give up his pet if a pro
posed ordinance banning exotic pets is passed by the City Council.
glass aquarium, and is never in a position
to harm anyone.
Animals harmful
Some animals classified as exotic have
harmed people, according to Craig Schain
ost, the city's chief animal control officer.
"We'll have cases where someone's pet
skunk or raccoon will turn on them and
bite people in the neighborhood,"
Schainost said.
The Kolariks charged that any skunk
or raccoon that goes wild was taken out of
the wild illegally. They explained that pet
stores can only sell the animals if they have
l-eea captive for a specified period of time.
Schainost said the animals are
impossible to domesticate.
The Kolariks also said tarantulas are not
lethal; their bite is like a bee sting.
Lawrence Parrish, a UNL sophomore
and former tarantula owner, said he had
been bitten by his pet, and agreed with the
Kolariks concerning the effects of the bite.
Bietz, however, said he would prefer a
bee sting to a tarantula bite.
Weird calls
"We get some weird calls," Beitz said,
"like, 'There's a tarantula loose in my base
ment, what should I do?'"
Bietz estimated that there are more
"exotic" pets in homes around Lincoln
than in the city's zoos. He said although
there are federal restrictions on many
animals covered in the proposal, "there are
always loopholes.
"There are similar ordinances around
the country. Omaha has one. The state of
California has a book of regulations,"
Bietz stated.
"I wouldn't mind seeing some things
controlled, but this proposal isn'i the
answer," Ron Kolarik said.
The proposal will be subject to public
debate before the city council acts on it.
Speaker sees no conflict between ERA, homemaking
By Kim WUt
Anne Follis, national president of
Housewives for ERA, says she doesn't see
any contradictions between being a home
maker and favoring ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
"I am a homemaker, a Christian, and a
patriot, and for these reasons I support
the ERA," she said. She says she believes
her job as a housewife is "one of the most
important jobs in the country."
The wife of a Methodist minister, Follis
says her church backs her in this issue.
"The Methodist church is the most sup
portive group in the country of the ERA,"
she said.
Scriptures agree
She has studied the Scriptures, and said
she feels the Christian way for people to
act toward each other is "mutual submis
sion. "Paul told wives to submit to their
husbands," Follis said, but adds that he
also told husbands to love their wives as
Christ loved the church. "Jesus Christ sub
mitted himself to the church," Follis says,
so husbands and wives should submit to
each other."
Follis said many housewives have a
inside monday
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mance page 22.
false sense of security" and do not
believe they need the ERA.
"They think they have a bag full of
Wonderful rights, and the ERA will take
them all away." But that's just not true,
according to Follis.
Constitution 'sexist'
The Constitution was never intended
to include women, she said, and the 14th
Amendment, which states no state can
deny any person equal propection under
the law, was intended to refer to black
men, not to women. She said the Supreme
Court has interpreted the amendment to
mean that discrimination on the basis of
race and religion is illegal, but not on the
basis of sex.
Ms. Follis says a homemaker has no
property rights, and no benefits in her old
age.
"You are at the mercy of your husband,"
she says.
Housewives for ERA was started in
1973, in Evanston, 111. In 1976, Follis
became the first state president, and in
1978, she was elected national president.
"I believe we have touched a nerve,"
she says.
A full-time housewife, and mother of
three, Follis says she tries to limit her
speaking engagements so she will not be
away from her family any more than neces
sary. Being a homemaker is her career.
An
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Photo by Bob Pt arson
The Big Eight Skywriters, sports reporters who take a tour to observe Big Eight football teams, left Memorial Stadium Sat
urday without any doubt that Bob Devaney is in charge of foctbaD in Nebraska. For more on the skywriters visit to UNL,
see page 22.
