to feel quite sorry for Walter Palmer?

[TwistInMySobriety]

Not very sorry what with him being a humungous twat for liking big game hunting, obviously. But seriously, worldwide opprobium and trial by media for partaking in a legal activity (he claims his permits were legit) that is a significant income stream for an impoverished third world country?

Also, while I'm at it, the death of a lion makes headlines? When did you last see a headline about the deaths of six million people in the civil war in the DRC?

Yesterday's news footage from Palmer's hometown had normal people who were offended by his actions and said calmly that they wouldn't patronise his business.

They seem to have been replaced by crazies.

I see he now has police protection.

Quite funny: reductress.com/post/racist-friend-from-high-school-very-upset-over-that-one-lion/

Twist

Can you get us off this media circle jerk then and post about the DRC?

I think the whole world's gone mad tbh. 20 years ago this would have barely made the front page news. Now (thanks to social media), people are sharing their disgust and trying to outdo each other on how disgusted they are.
Some of the comments I've read on Facebook about this man are completely outrageous:
"kill him. Fuck him first. fuck him in every hole and then fuck his mother". "You sick bastard".
Then swear words in every language: French Spanish Italian Arabic. This man is being sworn at in every language in the world.

He may be a horrible person but he he may not be. Atm all I know is he hunted the wrong lion. If he'd hunted the right lion legally we would never have known that Walter Palmer hunted Big Cats.

This jumping on the bandwagon hysteria is horrible to watch. Those of you wishing death on him with torture should be ashamed of yourselves.

Very well said BigRedBall.

Well put BigRedBall.
I've no doubt some people on this thread will be pleased to know that sections of the media have decided to 'out' other big game hunters for them to vent their hysteria on..

Big game hunters have been rightfully outed for weeks.

Palmer is only getting the attention he is because of the animal he killed, however, anyone who thinks that it's acceptable to stalk and shoot endangered species probably needs to have a serious think about buying a new moral compass.

Should he be torn limb from limb... no. Should he be made to face the consequences of his actions... undoubtedly so.

I have sympathy for the people who work for him (although I would have resigned the minute I found out about his little 'hobby') but less for his family - how on earth could anyone marry that? If DH hadn't liked animals I very much doubt we would have even got together.

Personally I prefer animals to humans. I've never met an animal I didn't like but sadly I can't say that about humans.

This article states he has had 43 kills.

read here

Can I just say I find it very creepy that he's a dentist, he is in a position to inflict pain (or limit pain) on people.

I too could not marry someone who didn't at least LIKE animals. I wonder what on earth his wife and kids think.

I am saddened by his actions.

But I really cannot bring myself to approve of the hysterical vitriol posted by people who don't live in Africa, don't appreciate the nuances of all the economic implications of this business, and who are targeting one man in a bullying personal fashion.

There are organisations who have been campaigning about this for decades. Join one and calm the fuck down.

I have to confess I haven't read the whole thread but hunting as "a significant income stream for an impoverished third world country?" FFS - Zimbabwe doesn't need to make it's money from hunting, it has huge economic potential, it is tremendously fertile and could supply the whole region with food, it had until recently fantastic literacy levels, has incredible mineral wealth, diamonds, chrome, platinum and coal. It used to be a tourist's paradise with mild weather, good road networks, amazing wildlife, unspoilt landscape, and of course Victoria Falls too. It also had excellent manufacturing industries and a solid infrastructure, but lack of government investment and actively discouraging foreigners from expanding into the region has put paid to that.

The only reason the country is impoverished is that the government has spectacularly mismanaged it and greedily siphoned off its wealth for their own ends. People who blame colonialism need to realise that white majority rule ended 35 years ago and the white Zimbabwean population is tiny, estimated to be about 100,000 out of 14 million. Most white people who stayed in the country post 1980 were very positive about the future, the ones that had a problem with it upped sticks and left after independence. Most white people admitted land reform was required and had it been efficiently managed and a reasonable handover agreed the country would still be ok. Instead it was shambolic with farms being handed out to ministers and other corrupt cronies (Gadaffi, Mengistu).

Another major problem that keeps these regimes afloat is foreign aid. In my opinion foreign aid has done more damage than good as without it these corrupt regimes would fall.

Rant over.

BTW I am Zimbabwean but fell in love with an Englishman.

MrsMarigold that was my impression too (from my limited visits to southern Africa). How ignorant to think that $55,000 in any way compensates for the loss of a much photographed and studied lion, and its devastating effect on herd dynamics? Even if it was 1.55 million dollars, it still wouldn't be enough compensation for this stupid man's need to play at his hobby on holiday.

How poor do some people think parts of Africa are? Why do they think they have wildlife conservation programmes in the first place? Maybe some people think that the whole of Africa has no streets, roads, businesses, and so on?

And what sort of idiot hunter has so little knowledge of the species he is hunting that not only can he not get a fatal shot into his prey, he doesn't consider the effect of his actions on herd dynamics?

My mind is drawn again and again to

Now Cecil's brother has been shot by poachers.
An arrest has been made.

WTF is wrong with people.