Pet Gila monster bites Colorado man, who dies in what experts call a "rare event.”

The Jefferson County coroner has confirmed that a 34-year-old Colorado man died this month, days after being bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters.
"I think this case highlights that any venomous animals should be respected," said Dr. Nick Brandehoff, a medical toxicologist and expert in reptile bites with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation, who was consulted on the Lakewood Gila monster case.
Gila monsters are venomous reptiles found in the southwestern United States. While their bites can be painful, they are normally not fatal to humans. Experts say that the last report of a human dying from a Gila monster bite was in 1930.
"The vast majority of bites cause local swelling and bleeding," said Brandehoff, who said the bites can cause intense localized pain and can cause victims to pass out. But deaths are exceedingly rare.
"The last case I have been able to find," said Brandehoff, "was 1930 and that was not even a medical journal case."
According to several experts involved in the Lakewood case, the man -- who has not been identified -- owned two pet Gila monsters and was bitten by one of them on Feb. 12. It was a juvenile and about 12 inches long. The owner was hospitalized and died the Friday leading into the Presidents Day holiday weekend -- four days after the animal bit him.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office confirmed the death, saying an autopsy was performed on the bite victim but the precise cause of death won't be known until additional toxicology testing is completed. (WTF???)
Eric Harper, a criminal investigator with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said CPW was asked to remove the Gila monsters from the home after the bite. He told CBS News Colorado it is illegal to own Gila monsters in Colorado without a license. Harper said the victim also owned tarantulas which are not illegal to own.
Harper said the Lakewood incident may be an anomaly, but it shows "venomous reptiles are hazardous and should only be handled or possessed by people with the proper training."
Harper and Brandehoff both said the reptile that bit its owner will be transported this week to a lab in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado, where its venom will be extracted and studied to bring a greater understanding as to why its bite led to its owner's death. (WTF ??? 2.0 … are these guys supposed to be experts in toxicology ??)
Brandehoff said experts will "look at the venom components and see if there is some reason this might occur." He said while it's early in the investigation, he suspects the victim may have suffered some kind of allergic reaction to the Gila monster's venom. (DAYUM PEOPLE … IT’S A VENOMOUS REPTILE AND IT HAS “MONSTER” IN THE DAMN NAME … IF IT BITES YOU, YOU COULD DIE …SMDH.)
The Lakewood Police Department says the two Gila monsters were removed from the victim's home and taken to a wildlife rehab center in another state.

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/gila-monster-bites-kills-colorado-pet-owner-lakewood-man-rare/

 Liberals and their “EXPERTS” try to explain why you are so dangerous to society if you are a ‘conspiracy theorist.’

Oh oh ... Conspiracy theorists keep getting things right; experts warn that’s dangerous Not just online any more: dangerous movements like the "freedom convoy" are fueled by conspiracy theories, and when those theories are correct, it legitimizes them; BOOM!
The problem for governments and malfeasant corrupted medical doctors, scientists, medical establishment is we (conspiracy theorists) are always right.

Dr. Paul Alexander - JUL 23, 2023

‘In a world increasingly dominated by sensationalism and misinformation, conspiracy theories have found fertile ground to flourish. Dismissed by many as the ramblings of a paranoid few, these theories have long been relegated to the fringes of society. But the experts now warn that they are witnessing the emergence of a new threat vector: conspiracy theorists being proven right.
The exposure of government surveillance programs like PRISM, the revelations surrounding the secret experiments of MKUltra, and the acknowledgement of covert military operations like Operation Gladio, have all served as a sobering reminder that conspiracy theories are not always baseless. Darker still, we’ve even learned that the US government experimented with syphilis on Black folks and were the ultimate cause of the high rate of STDs among non-white populations.
More recently, the lab leak theory regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic has yet again sparked totally unnuanced “conspiracy theorists were right” discourse. While initially the lab leak theory was clamped down on for being a dangerous conspiracy theory, the hypothesis has — more or less by random chance — been the one to recently gain traction in expert opinions.
And while the true origins of the virus remain unclear, the fact that a modern conspiracy theory could potentially hold elements of truth has raised alarm bells among guardians of democracy like journalists and experts.

Don’t Go Down the Rabbit Hole - The New York Times
Critical thinking, as we’re taught to do it, isn’t helping in the fight against misinformation.
Our attention economy allows grifters, conspiracy theorists, trolls and savvy attention hijackers to take advantage of us and steal our focus. Leah Nash for The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/opinion/fake-news-media-attention.html

The specter of true conspiracy theories heralds profoundly dangerous implications for our ability to function as an open, inclusive, and equitable democratic society. As once-dismissed theories find validation, shadows of doubt are cast upon the credibility of the mainstream institutions and experts who set out to protect us to begin with.
While those with less nuanced thinking argue that revelations of truth serve as a necessary check on power, experts caution that society is now far more complex and fragile than during the era when Fox Mulder and Dana Scully chased government conspiracies in X-Files.
Public acceptance of parts of even one conspiracy theory will inevitably erode trust in essential institutions and have profound consequences for our ability to shape societal cohesion and protect marginalized minorities like BIPOCs and women.
What the experts all agree on is the importance of critical dialogue about the dangers of conspiracy theories, and the need for democracy’s stakeholders — NGOs and governments — to come to the table and explain how they intend to combat the danger. Government also needs to lay out a dynamic and resilient framework for cooperation with the private sector so that we can present a multifaceted and unified front against conspiratorial thinking in all areas of society.
This is no less than a fight for democracy itself, and so it must be transparent, provide accountability, and be vigorous in upholding our democratic values. We must all come together to strengthen the fact checkers and counter narratives that exploit people’s fears, insecurities, and distrust. Our efforts should focus on rebuilding trust in institutions, amplifying marginalized voices, and ensuring that accurate information is priority-available to the common person in the street.

Tulane University: The best way to fight a conspiracy theory isn’t with facts
Since the pandemic began, the spread of misinformation has seemingly been more contagious than COVID-19. An “EXPERT” in conspiracy theories explains strategies to stop them.
https://news.tulane.edu/news/expert-best-way-fight-conspiracy-theory-isnt-facts

But the fight against conspiracy theories goes beyond facts alone. We must nurture an informed and resilient society-mass that can build pathways around the dangerous challenges posed by conspiracy theories, and we must do it all while while upholding our core values of progress, justice, equity, and human rights.
Because it’s ultimately the safety of marginalized bodies that are at stake. And if history has taught us anything it is these three, powerful words: Black lives matter. Women’s lives matter. Our lives matter.’

https://afru.com/conspiracy-theory-right-experts-warn-dangerous/

https://palexander.substack.com/p/oh-ohconspiracy-theorists-keep-getting