That's why i feel the "warning" isn't just harmless fun. Not only can it hurt feelings, but it can also persuade opinion.
Quote Originally Posted by sandragonfly
...but this is why a lot of people find them scary or hideous; encouragement of warnings.
Because of opinion a harmless Michigan snake almost became extinct. People weren't educated and thought it was the same as a very poisonous temperamental one. Since people are already afraid of snakes they killed it on spot with out checking to see which one it really was. (Eastern Fox Snake vs the Mississauga (sp?) Rattler.)