The "Carol Snake Law" Has Traction

I became aware that I am married to somewhat of a celebrity here in the burg of Murphysboro.

The realization came at church this morning..when two different city council members came to meet her. She is known to them as “the snake lady.”

For those who keep track of my Facebook posts, you will remember that Carol and our hound discovered a five-and-a-half foot long boa constrictor in our backyard this past fall. Apparently, the story has gone viral here in Murphy, especially among city council members who are now considering legislation banning the release of exotic creatures into the town.

Yes, Carol’s episode with the boa has spawned a resolution that will be voted on by the council. The “Carol Snake Law” apparently has support from a majority of the council, as evidence by the line of them waiting to shake the hand of my mate prior to our worship service.

The law apparently was spawned by the animal control department, which told Carol on that fateful day that she might have violated a law by using an axe to end the life of the unsuspecting serpent. I will not quote Carol here….but she was colorful in her retort to the poor fella that came out to pick the boa corpse when he suggested that she might have over-reacted when she and a neighbor trapped and harvested the constrictor.

The boa apparently had some constitutional rights. It merely was trespassing….slithering through our backyard on its way to a warmer destination….possibly back to its owner. And the owner was not in violation of the current law in Murphysboro in releasing the python to go out and roam around the town.

Which spawned the Carol Snake Law, which makes the release an ordinance violation giving crazy axe-swinging women the right to bludgeon wild creatures to death if they trod onto the turf of Tina Drive.

I am grateful that the Murphysboro animal control staff has decided to not release the 911 call made by Carol on the day of the attack.

According to one city council member, the screaming rant was saved by the city as one of the great hysterical phone calls in the history of Murphysboro. The council members have not, to my knowledge, heard the recording…..but they say the animal control folks claim it to be priceless.

Carol was screaming into a cell phoned while keeping our hound at bay….and swinging various sledge hammers and axes at the boa constrictor…..and the snake was not receiving the beating with grace. This went on for several minutes and the associated audio is apparently the Genesis of the proposed law. Hopefully the recording will continue to remain in the safe care of the city. There might have been words uttered in the heat of the moment. Words not good for public consumption….words not good for Carol’s stature in the community.  

This reporter will continue to watch the legislation as it rolls through committee and the council.

The Carol Snake Law has traction…and could become the defining act of our stay in this fine city.

Stay tuned…as we watch the government once again intercede into the liberties of snakes and their owners.

And I live with the women who made it all possible…..