After reading the article about Cecil the lion, I was very disturbed by both the actions of Dr. Palmer and the reactions of the people. The fact that Dr. Palmer would do such a thing upsets me and makes me question whether or not hunting for sport should be legal, due to the fact that it is just unnecessary and inhumane. Hunting for deer is one thing, because people may use it for meat and food, but to kill a lion for no reason upsets me. What also bothered me was the reaction of the people. I understood that people were upset and should have spoken up about it, but the people got so aggressive and violent after hearing this news.
Dr. Palmer, whether or not he did know he was on a preserve and it was an accident, took many actions that disturbed me in this incident. First of all, when hunting or holding a weapon, one should be very aware of his surroundings. The fact that he was not careful enough while holding a weapon and hunting worries me. If an “accident” like this can happen, maybe hunting for a sport is too dangerous and should not be allowed. It also bothered me that he used a weapon that would make the lion suffer for days before dying. It is unnecessary and I do not understand why someone would need to hunt a lion in the first place and I especially do not understand why someone would cause it to suffer.
Although I am very upset by this news, I was also upset by the reaction of the public. Martin Luther King once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” I think that this quote explains why the people should not have become so aggressive when hearing this news. If a person is so disappointed and upset about this act of violence, they should not react in harmful ways to bring justice. Instead, the public could have responded in a way that was more peaceful and helpful. They could have responded through protests and kind letters to authoritative figures, rather than threatening Dr. Palmer and his office. Overall, I was shocked by the acts of everyone involved. The fact that someone would murder an animal for no reason, especially one that was on a preserve, and the fact that people react in such a hateful way disturbs me.
