I do not understand trophy hunting
A legendary buck killed in Minnesota.
A legendary bear killed in Wisconsin.
A legendary wolf killed in Minnesota, or perhaps elsewhere - - prior to a Federal judicial ruling that wolves in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin be returned to protected status.
I'd have thought it would be enough of a thrill to simply see creatures like these, then go on your way and leave them to live their lives.
I do not understand it. Serious comments welcomed.
A legendary bear killed in Wisconsin.
A legendary wolf killed in Minnesota, or perhaps elsewhere - - prior to a Federal judicial ruling that wolves in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin be returned to protected status.
I'd have thought it would be enough of a thrill to simply see creatures like these, then go on your way and leave them to live their lives.
I do not understand it. Serious comments welcomed.
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8 comments:
I don't hunt any more, but I grew up in the culture. I get it. Might I suggest Moby Dick?
Thanks, Linda. I have read it multiple times as a focal point of my MA. Thanks for the note.
Trophy hunting is kind-of-like posting inane and crazy praise of milwaukee journal sentinel.
Each involves something that is entirely dead and that no longer serves a useful purpose to anthing other than putrification.
And each is a sick attempt to hold up shamefully dead entity as somehow "proof" of greatness.
I definitely agree, I enjoyed small game hunting and fishing when I was young, but also felt ashamed of killing these creatures when it was for no other reason than sport. I now enjoy photographing wildlife. I have wonderful pictures of elk, deer moose, mountain goat big horn sheep etc. It is just as sastifying and I get to hang my trophies on the wall as well.
@Tom - - Thank you for the note. I do think aging gives perspective and appreciation for living things.
The "Linda Spice" above should actually be "Jim Spice." Apparently I was logged in as her.
James, I share your lament, but I'm afraid I do understand it.
Trophy hunting is a symptom of simplistic, self-centered, zero-sum, chauvinistic thinking. It's what happens when one doesn't develop or reexamine one's thinking or place in the world after about the age of eight, and doesn't put in the uncomfortable work required to cultivate empathy or critical thinking abilities.
The logic of the trophy hunter goes like this:
1) Trophy Animal is great/special/noteworthy/[other superlative].
2) I killed Trophy Animal
3) Therefore (by some magical bastardization of the transitive property), I am as great/special/noteworthy/[other superlative], or moreso.
Replace the word "killed" with some other form of dominance, and this is the thinking behind a whole slew of bigotries (notably, sexism and homophobia).
Throw in just a tiny wrinkle, and you've also got the underpinning of identity politics and American Exceptionalism:
1) At some point in the past, the United States and/or its people did something outstanding/virtuous (defeated the Nazis, landed on the moon, pioneered various technologies, etc.)
2) The United States has the most large/powerful/influential military/economy/culture/etc.
3) I happened to be born in the US and am a US citizen.
4) Therefore, (even though I personally had nothing to do with #1 or #2, and had no control over #3) I am outstanding, virtuous, powerful, influential, etc.
None of this would fly in a 100-level "Intro to Logic" course (note that logic generally isn't taught in high schools anymore), but it all feels good and deftly skirts around potentially uncomfortable/complicated truths and conflicts, and that's good enough for a distressingly large number of people.
jimspice/Linda Spice: We knew you were the Spice girls, just not that you were one spice, not two.
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