Earth - A Hillbilly's Paradise

From reading articles about the duck poachers

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/columnists/michael_platt/2009/08/10/10412096-sun.html

there are at least two certainties relative to this unfortunate event:

(1) David Fraser is genuinely remorseful; and
(2) David Fraser and the other two fellas involved in the senseless murdering of wildlife are ignorant as ignorant can be.

Seriously, whenever a citizen is trekking through the back country armed with a firearm, shooting at living creatures one has to wonder whether the act is not only legal but moral.

Now, I understand the need to cull certain wildlife from farmer’s fields. Absent pest control, gophers pose risk to both agriculture and domestic animals. The risk is not just about a horse or cow stepping in a gopher hole, or about prairie dogs chowing-down on agriculture, it is about disease and pestilence spreading from an overgrown gopher population. But shooting ducks leisurely sunning themselves on a local watering hole? That’s just not the same thing. That is a distinction with a massive difference.

To be fair to the Fraser boys, I have strong suspicion that they are no different than a gaggle of other hillbillies worldwide senselessly blasting wildlife without consideration. They are, however, the ones that in an odd moment of innocent-ignorance posted their rampage on the internet for all to see. And its not just metrosexual yuppies incensed over this tragedy; for I have spoken to a number of law abiding firearms owners who are disgusted as well. They are angered because of the senseless death and perhaps even torture of beautiful creatures, but also because this kind of activity adds support to those lobbying for abolishing firearm ownership altogether. A lobby that many, including this writer, does not support.

Having said all of this, I think we should take a moment to recognize what appears to be a genuine display of remorse on the part of David Fraser. As human beings, we are of course highly anthropocentric creatures. Often, we see the world only through human eyes, with little recognition for what it is like to be something other than what we are. Interestingly, without much adieu, human beings senselessly cull the oceans of wonderous creatures on a quotidian basis. For instance, to satisfy our insatiable urge for exotic foods, we torture sharks for their fins. Sharks are perhaps the earth’s greatest survivor. The Great White Shark is a miracle of consistency. A creature that has survived "unevolved" for millions of years. Today, these splendid creatures find themselves tangled to death in fishing nets, bait lines and some have even been hunted by a host of pathetic testosterone junkies sitting in the safety of armored boats while they chum the water with one hand and drink a beer with the other. Manly I tell ya!

I guess my point is at least twofold. Firstly, as much as we are angered at the Fraser’s, we should at the very least acknowledge David Fraser for taking responsibility and in so doing, showing us that he is human. Like all humans, he is a creature capable of making mistakes. He apparently recognizes what he did was wrong. At least he is conscious. That makes him far different from scads of other people who don’t even understand or care to appreciate their moral shortcomings. Secondly, when we look at this incident, we should not only extend our concern for the senseless conduct that led to the death of ducks; we should also reflect upon the countless other creatures we destroy without much adieu. For we kill billions of other creatures with far less consideration than the carnage wrought by the Frasers.

Indeed, Earth is a hillbilly's paradise.

David G. Chow
Criminal Defence Lawyer

www.calgarydefence.com