If animals had an advocate, they would decry as “environmental racism” the way media always publicize animal attacks. Take the headline news over Memorial Day weekend, Hiker Injured by Bear in Yellowstone Park.” A lone hiker was attacked by two bears, injured, but was able to walk back to civilization to seek medical attention.
On the surface of it, this was a horrific attack by a wild animal on an innocent hiker. Since most people never read beyond the first paragraph or two of a story, they would never have reached the last paragraph: Hikers at Yellowstone are always told to (1) stay at least 100 yards away from bears at all times (that’s a whole football field ~ which seems much farther in the wilderness), (2) carry bear spray (ursine pepper spray), and (3) always hike in groups of 3 or 4 people. Did the hiker follow any of these common-sense rules? I think not. What did he expect ~ a headline news story to splash all over his boring Facebook page!?
Ergo, said bears were not nearly as much at fault as the media likes to extremize. According to the counsel for the defense, Mom and Pop Bear were only protecting their cubs against the evil influence of human beings. They let him get away, didn’t they?
We need more stories as we have in my area, the southern Appalachians. Just the other day, seven young bears crashed a pool party near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Hey, all you need to do is be careful. For example, we change the access codes to our community pool and tennis courts every now and then ~ have yet to have any bears go for a skinny dip.
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Excerpted from Going Green, available as an eBook at this list of eBook retailers online.
