Sometimes, it takes the tragic death of one to draw attention to the whole.
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A media firestorm broke out this past week when it was learned that an American hunter lured a beloved lion name Cecil from a protected African reserve in order to shoot with an arrow, stalk, finally kill with a gun and remove the lion's head as "trophy."
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Outrage over the incident has known little boundary, particularly on the Internet where some now decry "mob rule" and try to arouse sympathy for the wealthy dentist as a "victim" of cyber-bullying and social "persecution." Others try to deflect from the actual issue of animal tyranny to human controversies such as abortion.
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Offer me no Kleenex for this guy who not only carried out crimes against animals, but premeditated and fully planned them. Worse, he took pleasure and pride in them.
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If Walter Palmer has been "dehumanized," in social media, it is because he dehumanized himself, and in the process brought the rest of humanity down with him.
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The brutal and unjustifiable slaying of Cecil represents the mere tip of the iceberg in terms of what our species is doing to the other beings of the world, whether they still hold on in the plains of Africa, the forests of our countrysides, our parks or our oceans. (This is not even to mention the oppressive existences forced on billions of animals raised and slaughtered for meat.)
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In the white-toothed, grinning smile of Walter Palmer, we have been compelled to finally hold up a mirror and the image is not pretty. Palmer is, after all, "one of us" and he has taken great pleasure and ego in blowing away the rare wildlife of our world in order to gloat and mount heads on walls. -- Wildlife that in many cases, won't be around for our grandchildren to enjoy and relate to.
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No, not a pretty image for self-recognition at all, but rather a very painful one of narcissism, pride, gluttony and greed -- indeed all part of the "seven deadly sins."
It is this self-recognition as a species that confronts us and now appears to be the underlying reason for the outrage expressed in hundreds of thousands of comments to social media. It seems people are finally demanding justice and accountability for at least, some crimes against the other animals of this planet. Truth is, that it is painful to see ourselves in the gloating face of the world's now most infamous animal slaughterer.
Put simply, Walter Palmer is every one of us and reflects, not our self-pride in species, but rather our shame.
It is this self-recognition as a species that confronts us and now appears to be the underlying reason for the outrage expressed in hundreds of thousands of comments to social media. It seems people are finally demanding justice and accountability for at least, some crimes against the other animals of this planet. Truth is, that it is painful to see ourselves in the gloating face of the world's now most infamous animal slaughterer.
Put simply, Walter Palmer is every one of us and reflects, not our self-pride in species, but rather our shame.
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But, will justice actually occur?
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Because Zimbabwe is known for human rights violations, it is highly unlikely Palmer will be extradited back to the country to face justice and possible conviction for illegal poaching. However, he could be charged for violation of poaching laws in this country since intent was to bring the lion's head back to the US for taxidermy. But such violation would not carry jail term and is likely to result in only fine that the big game hunter can easily afford. He should be back to the outdoors in no time with bow, arrow and gun in hand.
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This is the other reason people are angry -- the realization that serious and legal consequences for animal offenders are rarely, if ever carried out. Existing laws don't require stiff penalty for animal poaching and a good lawyer can argue that the perpetrator "wasn't aware" he was violating laws -- which in Palmer's case is already the defense. Shift the blame to his accomplices or anyone other than the actual perpetrator.
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So, with realization that there is little legal remedy for the crimes committed, people take to the Internet and post things like the good dentist should "rot in hell" or be thrown in a lion's den. Yes, frustration, big time. But, no, it is not a "lynch mob."
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Just the court of public opinion finally demanding changes in law and societal values as we don't like what we see in the mirror. -- PCA
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