#2 Hunting: My Feels as an Animal Lover and Omnivore
Rebecca Francis is a name that went viral last week when comedian Ricky Gervais posted this tweet:
At first, I reacted the way I often do when I come face to face with internet outrage. That is, I was largely apathetic. Although I do not relate to the desire to kill a thing and then take a selfie with it, I also have no reason to condemn it. I have my own morbid hobbies, after all. I would love to learn how to properly handle a dead animal so that I could preserve the pelts of my pets, and make things from their fur and bones. Creepy right? I love shit like that. And naturally, as both an animal lover and meat eater, I have some pretty varied thoughts when it comes to hunting.
1. Why I Respect Hunters
Anyone willing to kill and prep their own food is pretty rad in my book. I feel like, unless you're vegetarian or vegan, it's pretty hypocritical to condemn hunting for food. Someone's got to kill it. Why not you? Of course, there is an argument for need. With an excess of food available to purchase at your local grocery store, hunting has become obsolete, right? Well sort of. People who live in secluded areas may find it more beneficial to hunt their own meat. An entire elk can feed a family much better than a bag of chicken breasts!
I'm not saying we should all be hunters. I'm saying that hunting has its place in the world, and that I have respect for those willing to do their own dirty work. Then again, our meat industry is often very cruel. So maybe we actually should all be hunters?
2. My Rules of Engagement
In general, I am okay with hunting when two rules are met. First, there must be a need. I will never relate to those who kill animals for fun. Is there a cougar attacking your livestock? Hunt it. Do you live in an area where it's easier to hunt your own meat than buy it elsewhere? Do you hunt your own food because our meat industry is cruel and you'd rather control where your food comes from? Is there an invasive species threatening your local ecosystem? Those are all examples of situations where I am okay with hunting. Second, protect your environment. Do not hunt animals if their population is vulnerable to hunting. Ecosystems can be fragile, so I believe it's important to protect them when given the opportunity. After all, we humans are the dominant species. Ecosystems often live or die by our whim.
3. Rebecca Francis Defends Herself
Here's where things got weird for me. Rebecca Francis released a statement in defense of her kill. At first glance, it's a beautiful read. She explains how she was approached by African locals and asked to hunt this lone bull giraffe so that their people could eat the meat and make jewelry and "other things". Giraffes provide plenty of meat and hunting does not threaten their population, not to mention that lone giraffes do not survive long (or happily) in the wild. Beautiful story. But that's just one of her many kills. There are so many pictures of this woman with dead animals, many of which are not good food sources and some that belong to dwindling populations. Any of those images could have been used. I wonder how she would have defended herself then? It is very clear that Rebecca Francis hunts for sport, not for utility. They call her a conservationist, but I have trouble believing in conservationists who hunt lions, which are listed as a vulnerable species. I may support that one kill, but what about so many others?
4. Cyber Bullying
As a result of getting called out on the internet by such a public figure, Rebecca Francis has been the victim of cyber bullying. Many people have posted on social media expressing a wish to see her hunted and posed with like the giraffe along with other equally cruel and similar remarks. While I do not support this woman's hobby, I will also never support bullying of any kind. If you have that much rage towards hunters and empathy towards animals, that's great! But there are better things for you to spend that energy on. Where does bullying get you? Who does bullying help? Join a conservationist group, get involved in your local community. Educate yourself on current events within the conservationist culture. Reach out to your government and see what they're doing to help. At the very least, you can spread your thoughts and your passion in a way that is constructive and always, always, always, be the change you want to see in the world. Channel that rage and that passion into a force of productivity and work towards the future you want to be a part of.
Ultimately, I feel as though hunting for pleasure boils down to power. How thrilling to hold the power of life and death in your hands! How exciting to hunt something so large, to prove that you are the stronger animal! But power doesn't have to be about violence and force. We can also use it to protect and defend. We can...and should. What do you guys think?
