Recently
there has been international outrage over the killing of Cecil the Lion by an
American hunter. I’ve written before about my opinion on hunting for sport but
I will reiterate it again for those who don’t know. I feel that as a species,
Humans will never socially evolve or advance as long as we still get a thrill
from killing things.
I know that’s kind of a simplistic
thing to say because killing is such a huge part of our common human history.
If humans hadn’t evolved to be such smart and efficient killers we wouldn’t be
the dominant animal on the planet. The reality is that for most of us it takes
a lot more brain power to not kill than to just let our primal instincts run loose.
Killing is such an everyday part of
our lives and lexicon. Right now I’m “killing time”, but when I finish this
Pulitzer Prize winning column I will have “killed it”. When I’m playing racquet
ball and I make a great shot it’s a “kill shot” or when I get my butt handed to
me on the court I got “killed”. Even when I do something nice for my wife, I’m
“killing her with kindness”. But these are just everyday meaningless words,
what about when someone really ticks you off and you just want to “kill” them?
What’s stopping you?
For most of us it’s our brains
(conscience) and the fact that most of us don’t walk around with a way too easy
to use weapon in our pocket. I know that if I had had a gun on me the day I was
fired all those years ago I could easily have killed my boss, or at least
that’s how my fantasy goes. But really that’s just a fantasy because I know
myself and I don’t have the stomach for killing. I even find myself saying
“sorry dude” as I mush a spider that surprised me in the house.
For me there’s a hierarchy of
killing verses conscience. I know some of you will probably laugh at me because
I’m even thinking about this but here it is.
Insects, spiders, and rodents: I have no problem killing them
when they are bugging me but I don’t go out of my way to preemptively get rid
of them.
Fish and Shellfish: I have no problem killing or for that
matter “eating them alive” as in fresh Oysters.
It’s at this next level that I can’t do the killing but I
also don’t stop the killing being done for me.
Poultry: I still eat it a little
and I do love those fried chicken embryos.
Pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle: Because of my wife’s eating
habits I don’t eat any meat at home but occasionally I do when I am out. In all
good conscience even that’s getting harder to do.
Wild animals: I don’t think any wild animal should be killed,
period. I know all the excuses about managing the herds or them threatening our
space and livestock but there is such a fine line there when it comes to the “thrill
of the kill”.
Cats and Dogs: As painful as it is for me, I will have them
euthanized when they are suffering irreversibly.
Now at the top of my
list are people. I can’t imagine taking a human life and I am thankful that I
came of age in-between wars. I was never put in that position, unlike so many
young people that were. But I also don’t want any people killed in my name. I
don’t believe in capital punishment and I can say this knowing that my sister’s
murderer is still out there somewhere. I may wish they were dead but I wouldn’t
want them killed in her name.
I also don’t want wars fought in my name. I have always
considered myself a Pacifist so I don’t think that in this day and age we
should be fighting any wars especially preemptive ones. If some foreign power
wants to come here to Winters and attack me or my family then I will defend
myself, even to the death if I have too. But really, I don’t find that very
likely.
But let me bring all this talk about killing back to Cecil
the Lion. The part that I find most upsetting is that Cecil was first shot with
a bow and arrow and suffered for 40 hours before he was killed. That was
inhumane. Inhuman, as is the collateral damage from our wars on terror.
Inhumane, as is the treatment of the fifty plus billion animals that are
“harvested” (not slaughtered) each year to feed our insatiable appetites.
Inhumane, as is the way many of the poor are treated here in America because of
the growing inequality in wealth.
Even as it feels like we are being overwhelmed by all this
inhumanity it is my belief that our humanity will someday evolve us from the
natural born killers that so many of us still are. That evolution has to start
sometime, so let’s hope that it starts now with the death of Cecil. As has been
said for countless millennia, “May his death not have been in vain.”
To view the column in it's original form go to page 7 of the following link. Winters Express 8/13/15
