Near and Dear
There’s so much suffering these days. Every day one can find a new worthy cause begging for funds or for time, two of the most valuable commodities for most of us. There are almost as many groups trying to better the world, one issue at a time, as there are problems. Any person of average compassion can find a cause to call her own.
Even my hardened, black heart has an issue near-and-dear to me: The systematic, state-sanctioned murder of the Alaskan wolf population. The theory is that the wolves are over breeding in comparison to the natural prey in the area. The truth is that if any species is over populating, it is humans. Whose going to bring down our numbers by systematic slaughter? Oh, right, we’re doing that already. I digress…
Picture, if you will, a low flying small plane skimming the treetops in search of wolves. In the back are a couple of "hunters," barrels pointing out either side of the craft. Once found, the wolf is harassed into running by a near miss, then the pilot follows the fleeing canine until one of two things occur: the wolf staggers in exhaustion and is shot, or the wolf is shot while still running. How challenging is this for those "hunters"? Such behavior is both ignoble and cowardly, typical of the degeneration of human moral structures.
Some might argue this is sport. It is, after all, legal to "hunt" this way. This is no more sport than pumping quarters into a NASCAR simulator and testing the virtual asphalt. This is no more sport than blasting carnivorous aliens in the latest Half Life episode. Besides, it has all the moral qualities of intentionally shooting children in a war zone.
Please take a minute to sign a petition in defense of the wildlife. If you have a bit more time, consider writing a check for the good people trying to save one of the noblest species known to man. I say noble, because it’s a fair bet they wouldn’t choose to kill anything in such a craven manor as we do to them.