Before you read what I have written for today, please visit
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetry/whiteliesand.html and read “White
Lies and Pranks” by Lance Landall.
Most, if not all, of us know someone who thinks playing tricks on
others and making them appear foolish is funny. The people I happen to
know who enjoy doing this seem to have something of a mean streak.
The fact that they are “avid” hunters may have something to do with
their warped sense of “humor.” And if I may digress for a moment, have
you noticed how hunters like to be described as “avid” as in “avid
hunters”? For years I’ve noticed that some deceased hunters are
described in their obituaries as “avid” hunters. I thought I’d look up
the word “avid” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary sitting
on my desk. Here is what I found: “craving eagerly, greedy,
characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit.”
These hunters use various deceptions – scents, sounds, blinds and
tree stands from which to ambush – in their unsportsmanlike trickery of
unsuspecting animals. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that there must be
a connection between the desire to pursue, trick and kill other animals
and to belittle, demean, degrade, or debase humans. I think that such
behavior is a form of sadism that is “socially acceptable,” so the
perpetrators know that they can get away with it.
Hopefully, some hunters will wake up and face the truth that it takes
real guts to stop their addiction to destructive behavior. Then, when
they learn to enjoy nature without a weapon in hand, their courage will
be blessed with true freedom and happiness – and deception and trickery
will be no more.
