First off, “experts” in Social Media have told me not to write about stuff like this, it’s too off topic and will diminish my subscribers. Second off…. I don’t care. 

A dentist from Bloomington, Minnesota killed a lion in Zimbabwe and the world has taken notice. Apparently most of what the dentist did was completely legal. Some of what he did was not, he broke some laws. He should be punished commensurate with the laws that he broke. 

This is not the first time the dentist has allegedly crossed the line into illegal hunting. I don’t know the guy but the guy sounds like a very unethical hunter. If I didn’t care about being called judgmental I might even describe the guy as a jerk. 

Also apparently, the lion he killed was “beloved.” He roamed “free” for years at a national park. He was described as a gentle giant. He never bothered anybody, he just did what lions do.

PETA has now called for the immediate execution of the dentist. No trial, no evidence, no lawyers, just kill the damn dentist. Other people who are “horrified” at the murder of this innocent lion have threatened to kill the dentist’s wife and kids. 

Not far from my office in the same Bloomington, Minnesota a demonstration was held outside the dentist’s office. Hundreds of people gathered to protest this man they called an “abomination.” There was media coverage from around the world. 

The death of Cecil the Lion was indeed a big deal.

Mere miles from the dentist’s office is the Hennepin County Morgue. As the protest for Cecil was taking place the body of a little boy was at the morgue. This child was also innocent, he didn’t bother anyone, he was beloved and he was also murdered while doing what children do.

But there was no outrage, there was no protest. The story of Cecil the lion was world-wide news, it was the lead story in Minnesota which is the other side of the world from where Cecil was killed. Cecil was discussed on talk radio for days, he still is as a matter of fact. The story of the murdered little boy was briefly mentioned on the radio, he was one of 30+ murders in the area in 2015…. so far.

Did I mention the fact that the child was a human being and the lion was an animal? 

Has the whole world gone crazy?

The protestors in Bloomington and animal rights activists around the world say we must work to ensure no more innocent lions are killed…. ever! I’m fine with that but where are the human rights activists protesting to ensure no more little boys are killed…ever?

Perhaps if people had the same sense of outrage when a little boy is killed as they do when a lion is killed, perhaps then, just perhaps, fewer little kids would be gunned down while playing in the street. 

Maybe the whole world isn’t crazy, most people questioned in Zimbabwe hadn’t actually heard about the lion and said they were too busy trying to make a living to care about it. But maybe some people truly do place more value on the life of a lion than they do on the life of a little boy. Judging from the events of the last week that would appear to be the case. 

That would also be very, very sad.