Some folks called me up to inquire about sending energy to protect the coyotes up in Modoc County (northern CA) because there is going to be basically a bloodbath. In order to "cull" the numbers (ranchers are upset by the number of livestock killed by coyotes) Fish and Game create a sporting event where hunters are encouraged to kill as many coyotes as possible in one day. Now, as a person who knows nothing about the area or the dynamics at play, I don't feel comfortable involving myself in that situation. However, that does NOT mean I think it's acceptable to mass slaughter the coyotes. Sadly, I think it reflects our inadequate and harmful attempt to address and deal with "other." In this case the "other" is the coyote. And it's easy to make the hunters the other or the Dept. of Fish and Game. But the truth is that very often we/I perceive an "other" and somehow demonize/harm them at the worst or just simply hold them as somehow separate from me in the least. I do it daily. Depending on the situation, it can be VERY hard to reign myself in and find compassion.
So, how does one effect change in Modoc county? How do we protect wild critters who are simply adapting to man made situations? I recognize that there is not only one answer...and that folks have to do what they have to do. In this case, one of the people is going up to modoc and taking videos of the piles of dead coyotes and getting that to media outlets. Part of the problem is that the event is quasi underground. If you didn't live in modoc you wouldn't know it's happening. So, they are hoping that the exposure will bring change.
But the conversation left me thinking about it all and wondering...
No comments:
Post a Comment