Protesters gathered Wednesday in front of Walter James Palmer’s dental practice in Bloomington, Minn., to decry his killing of Cecil the lion. (Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune)
Re: Lion s death renews focus on big game, July 31 news story.
I grew up hunting and fishing. My brothers and I were taught at an early age that you do not kill an animal unless it is to consume the meat. I cannot justify the concept of trophy hunting where you kill an animal merely for the sport and to hang a mount on the wall.
I have hunted in Africa, Arizona and Colorado, and have fished in countless locations in North America. I always ensure that any animal taken will be used for more than just the thrill and a trophy, and that the meat is always used for food.
Consequently, my core values prohibit me from pursuing animals without the attendant use for food. Lions and other predators certainly fit in this category.
What a shame and a waste that Cecil the lion was baited and then killed in a prolonged manner. This not only underscores the problem with trophy hunting, but also unfairly taints the millions of American hunters who have the utmost of integrity and commitment to conservation.
Hector Rene Ramirez, Aurora
This letter was published in the Aug. 3 edition.Perhaps the legal fees incurred by Walter Palmer for killing Cecil the lion will empty his coffers, and he ll no longer be able to afford $50,000 for big-game hunting trips.
Sport is defined as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Beloved Cecil was not Palmer s first big-game kill and trophy, but thousands of us around the world hope Cecil is his last.
Camille Gannon, Tucson, Ariz.
This letter was published in the Aug. 3 edition.
