I have eaten dead animals for most of my life and had never given it much thought.
Although I don't kill the animals myself, I fully understand that those items which I call "meat" were once living, breathing animals.
So if the killer of the animal eats the animal, or is part of the killing/ butchering/ selling/ buying/ eating process- he was given a pass by me, along with many others who eat dead animals.
Yet, I viewed a couple of pictures of one headless, maimed lion- and I'm ready to vomit my beef or chicken all over myself. I began to question my ambivalence to hunting with a conscience perhaps influenced by the gagging feeling of pain I had from the back of my throat right to the upper part of my stomach. It's the same feeling I had driving by the last of 15 dead sycamore trees a few days ago.
When is hunting a sport?, and when is it simply sadistic killing? Should the size, beauty ( in the eye of the beholder) or cuteness of the animal really matter? Not many hunters I know would enjoy decapitating kittens or koala bears- so cuteness must matter to them.
I've had to question my moral condemnation of the Dentist; Is a gleeful lion head holding sport hunter really so much worse than a turkey or deer head holding sport hunter? If I accept one, do I accept both? Is it a true crime against nature, or just sport- man satisfying his instinctual lust to kill since he isn't required to kill his own meat? I'm not satisfied I have an answer.
Which brings me to the killer of the sycamore trees at St Mary's by the sea in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport Ct. - I believe this is a true crime against nature.
The Ct. Post had extensive coverage about 5 years ago: under the cover of a major all night storm, 15 sycamore trees- most of them large and fully mature (80 yrs old) cut with a chain saw 75% through the trees.
Someone butchered 15 trees and hoped to condemn them to a slow death.
St Mary's is Bridgeport's crown jewel, and it doesn't have many. It's a beautiful park like setting of families, walkers, bicyclists and runners. The shade and beauty of those trees 20 ft. from the sea wall overlooking Long Island Sound and the boat marina made that stretch a uniquely idyllic scene.
The horrified residents and neighbors raised reward money, yet a witness, nor suspect ever stepped forward.
Some trees were taken down immediately and replaced with donated tiny baby sycamores. Others were given medicines in the deep cuts in the trunks.
The State Experts felt they might hold on, get through the trauma and survive. They were wrong.
I drove by St Mary's Friday, and the last of those Sycamores was being taken down. It was doubly tragic because there were no press or even neighbors around- I felt such overwhelming sadness and (strangely) a sense of shame- perhaps the same feelings I'd have if no one attended a good man's funeral. Like they died alone.
Whoever did that 5 years ago must be content, and must have enjoyed his power- and their long suffering.
