Discriminating against someone for being a hunter is a
supremely unfortunate aspect running rampant within our society. I find this news disheartening. Hunters and non-hunters
alike need to stand strong against those who would disparage an individual for
their legal and ethical choice to harvest their own food. This is important as much of the
anti-hunting rhetoric is built on a word that needs to be eliminated from our
vocabulary, HATE. As a society, we need to embrace each other for our
differences and not force each other into living lives based on our own
personal convictions and preconceived notions of right and wrong. Anti-hunters
are NOT crusaders on a mission to save animals; anti-hunters are bullies on a
mission to attempt to abolish hunting while spreading hate and discontent in their wake.
I find it alarming to read stories of someone sending a
HUMAN being a death threat because they killed an ANIMAL. Have these
people lost their minds? When did it suddenly become okay for the life of a
human being to be considered of lesser value than that of an animal? This
skewed notion of right and wrong is completely unacceptable. Larger and larger
segments of our society are simply losing their connection to the natural
world. This departure, from the roots of our very existence, is creating a
misinformed sub-culture detached from the reality of what it means to be an
integral part of the circle of life.
Farmers are loathed because they till the land, killing thousands
of mice, shrews and nesting birds, where crops are planted, butchers are hated for killing and
processing the pigs, cows, lambs and chickens we eat, loggers are sent death threats
because they cut down tree to keep houses warm throughout the cold winter
months. The cowards, inspired to target these hardworking people, do so from
anonymous social media accounts using threats and obscenities they would never
dare utter directly to a person’s face. These types of people typically eat
meat, wear leather jackets and burn wood pellets to warm their homes but are
unable (or perhaps unwilling) to understand that their very existence is
dependent on
living things dying for them to survive. Even the strictest
vegetarians and eco-conscious individuals must kill plants to eat to fuel their
bodies so that they may live. Considering these facts, why have so many in our
society completely lost the ability to see beyond their limited view of the
world where living things are no longer seen as food? “Hunting” is at
its core, the very definition of what it means to be personally and intimately
connected to your food supply.
Outside of the United States, a vast majority of the world
still lives a subsistence existence. Unfortunately, we here in America seem to
have fallen out of sync with the rules of nature and I fear that continuing on
this path will lead to the de-evolution of our species. If we hope to advance
as a species, we need to reconnect with the natural world and stand up to
support and defend each other for our unique differences, loves and passions.
My words are not meant for anti-hunters, for it is highly likely that their
minds are already set upon a path that will not be changed. Instead, I want to
reach out to those non-hunting individuals who are perhaps currently sitting on the fence
and wondering which way to bend. I also want to encourage large companies and
small businesses alike to stand strong to support hunters, hunters who buy
their products, hunters who uphold the law, hunters who pay taxes and hunters
who valiantly and tirelessly work to support a traditional way of living that
mankind has relied upon for survival for thousands of years.
Also, here is an older piece I wrote about
killing animals for sport.
Well said Rabid..
ReplyDelete