Talk about “entitlement”!
Currently all over the media, that word describes the attitude of an unmentionable judicial candidate and those
like him, who expect certain (good) things to happen for them just because
they’re who they are and from wherever they’re from.
Phooey!
Equally wrong is the “entitled” attitude of some hunters, who
apparently believe they have the right
to kill wildlife -- specifically, New Jersey’s black bears.
A hunter’s letter in last Friday’s Times
of Trenton referred to “a very small minority of people” who pushed the
governor to close public lands to bear hunters. Correction: those who oppose
bear hunts are a significant majority
of NJ’s residents, while hunters, in fact, make up “a very small minority.”
The letter writer also used the infamous euphemism “harvest” in
referring to bears (including cubs and their mothers) who were slaughtered in
the past. Oh, please. And she grossly
exaggerated the safety “risks” of bears, while giving no credence at all to the
potential success of using non-lethal
means to manage the bear population. (I
say “potential” only because such tools as bear-proof trash cans have not been
put into practice on any widespread basis).
Finally, she urged others like her to help “take back our right to hunt bear(sic) on public
land.”
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| Bill Lea pic |
New Jersey's bear hunt has always been a trumped(oops)-up trophy hunt. This year, instead of ending the hunt altogether, as he promised to do during his run for governor, Gov. Murphy banned bear hunting on public land only. His pandering cop-out was an attempt to satisfy both animal advocates and hunters, but obviously, it didn’t work. Neither side is satisfied -- least of all, if they could vote, our black bears.
All of which is why the Bear Group (“NJ’s official bear protection
organization”) of the Animal Protection League of NJ plans two protests this
month: (1) next Monday, October 8, 11 am-1 pm; and (2) the following Saturday,
October 13, 11 am-1 pm at the Whittingham Wildlife Management
Area, 150 Fredon Springdale Road, Fredon, New Jersey.
(For more info:
973-513-3219; info@savenjbears.com;facebook.com/SaveNJBears.)
It’s never too late
to hope the governor will see the errors of his ways -- they’re all around him
-- and extend his bear hunt ban to private
land as well as public. Our black bears deserve our pouring on the contacts
and appeals in every way possible. Please
send your messages and come to the protests!
Call the Governor: 609-292-6000; Tweet:
@GovMurphy #savenjbears
#
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