Saturday, April 11, 2009

Why am I the only one?

Something effected me today that I wasn't expecting, and it's something that I've been defending for over 6 yrs now and I think therapeutically it might do me some good to speak out about it.
Kirk asked me this morning if I wanted to go up to the new sporting goods shop "Bass Pro Sports" and said I would like it because there was a lot of animals there. I was confused so he clarified for me that they were stuffed and I was appalled that he thought I would enjoy animals that way. I agreed to go anyway because I'm slightly naive and thought how bad could it be? My question was answered when we walked up to the doors where the entry way is framed with countless antlers and I got a sick feeling in my stomach telling me this wasn't going to be good. And I was right, when we walked through the doors my jaw dropped at the sight of it. I wish I had my camera to help me describe what I saw. I looked up and there where animals everywhere because the place is huge and it seemed like every square foot was taken up by either antlers or animals that had been killed, stuffed and put on display. I'll admit it was an impressive place but I could not get the thought out of my head that most, if not all of these beautiful creatures had been killed needlessly to be put there. There where herds of caribou, black bears, wolfs, mountain goats, deer of all kinds, bison, buffalo, and a polar bear that must have stood over 20 ft high (on it's hind legs). It was amazing, and I could tell I was looking at it differently than other people because they were getting their picture taken with it and I was thinking of how beautiful it was and why it couldn't have just been left alone. It effected me almost as much as the moose they had set up. They were positioned in a way with the enormous antlers together to make it look like they were in a fight. I could not get over the size of them, and I just could not understand how someone could find something so awesome, point their gun and shoot it to take it's life. I feel blessed to live in a world where such animals exist and other people callously hunt them down for fun. As we continued our shopping I literally felt sick to my stomach and even felt emotional at times, because I believe so strongly against what everyone I was surrounded by supported. I know I might sound silly so some people and you might be thinking, "they're just animals!", but I can't seem to separate myself from it. And I feel very much like a minority here in Alberta because it's a sport so widely accepted. If there is anyone else that thinks like I do, let me know because I could use the support!
I want to clarify that I know animals were put on the earth for us and I understand that they were a source of survival even for some people today, but I don't support hunting when it's done for no other purpose than sport. There is very little talent in my mind, required in aiming a weapon at a defenceless animal and pulling the trigger.
As many of you know, my husband was raised as a hunter but I try not to see him as that because it's a very small part of who he is and in the past 6 years we've been married he's only shot something once (to my knowledge). At that time we had only been married a little under a year and it was literally one of that hardest days of my life, another thing I don't expect most people to understand. Every year since then I get very anxious when hunting season rolls around because I'm scared I might have to go through it with him all over again. I think it's inevitable though because I can't seem to get him to see it the way I do.
He has a million hobbies for crying out loud, can't he just drop one!
I guess we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it again, we've got eternity ahead of us so something has to get figured out eventually :)

I do feel better now that it's out of my system, that place really freaked me out! I'll just have to remember not to go back to Bass pro sports Outdoor world anymore.

Lindsay

6 comments:

Farrah said...

Okay, why would Kirk think that you would like the place? He knows how you feel, you haven't kept it a secret, so my question is why on earth did he take you there?????

Lindsay Cranmer said...

He'd never been there before. He said as soon as we got inside he thought we should go home, but Talon would have freaked out.

Dorienne said...

Hey, I'm with you. It is very unpleasant to see those creatures stuffed and on display. I am however okay with hunting as long as it's not "trophy" hunting.

Farrah said...

Okay... he's innocent!

Elizabeth Cranmer said...

Oh Lindsay! I love that you are so passionate! I must say that I distance myslef from the reality of how they got there, and was more focused on the this is the only way my kids will ever know what most of these animals look like up close. My kids of course thought they were real for the first while we were there until we explained.

It's great that you have a sensitive spirit. You provide needed balance in the world. People like you fight against the poaching of animals and cosmetic testing and such.

You really should never go there again though, it sounds like it was tramatic!

The Taylors said...

I agree. They are there for us for survival purposes, not for entertainment!