Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Stupid Quote

You are going to have to search hard for worse. Tom McIntyre sends this masterpiece of po- mo ignorance from National Geographic's Explorer- in residence ("Isn't that an oxymoron?"), one Derek Joubert: "Hunting will one day be relegated to the category of awful things we did as humans, alongside apartheid and the Holocaust.”

If you believe as I do that this sets new standards for invincible ignorance please let Mr. Joubert (and the magazine) know.

7 comments:

danontherock said...

Steve,

this may be a dead link. It didn't work for me.

Dan

Darrell said...

A perfect example of why I gave up on Natl Geo many years ago.

Tam over at View From The Porch has some arch comments about the Sept 1965 issue of Natl Geo, compared to the modern product:

http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2014/04/changing-times.html

Unknown said...

I remember perusing old issue of National Geographic on CD some years ago and ran across an article on Cooper's hawks. I want to say the article was from the 60's. The author stated that one reason for their decline was falconers pulling too many from the nest!

Steve Bodio said...

I remember-- COOPERS! Noel Snyder I think. I believe that there are now 120 pairs in metropolitan Tucson.

Urban Cooper's are now succeeding urban Peregrines as what David Quammen would call--!-- a weed species. Meaning simply something that thrives with us.

Darrell- I left a comment with Tam.

Cat Urbigkit said...

First, here's the link to the piece in which Derek Joubert was quoted:
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/11/23/uganda_ends_sport_hunting/

Here's another revealing quote: "Poaching gets reduced by creating wealth and health among rural communities so they can join a real world economy and not have to rely on bush meat to live."

Joubert's philosophy and vision will only help to severe the ties between local people, their traditional lands, and the wildlife that have sustained them.

Traditions and cultures be damned, apparently, so the human connection to wildlife can be relegated to superficial. I prefer the animal/human relationship of mutual nourishment.

Anonymous said...

Hey Steve, This is Clint from Hobbs. My comment is not related to the post at all. Sorry about that. But I thought you might be able to help me with something. I'm looking for Moroncelo Pouters and I thought you might have some contacts in the pouter world to get me pointed in the right direction. I have a acquired one set of siblings but would like a few more that are not related. My email is macdale_us@yahoo.com if you would like to reply that way. Hope all is well in Magdelena and thank you for your time.

Clint

Anonymous said...

Been away from the computer world awhile, so I am way behind. And about to stick my neck out for chopping(on this blog block, at least!), but hopefully not a full decapitation! I LOVE the Jouberts' stuff--I have several of their books, and I think their films are some of THE BEST on African Wildlife ever filmed. And I can relate to his attitude towards Big Game Trophy hunting somewhat. Here is a husband/wife team who get to know INTEMATELY wild animals as INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES(lions, in particular), only to see outsiders come in, and for a hefty fee, blow away one of their BELOVED animals they've been following and studying for all their lives, just for "sport"--NO WONDER they get pissy about it! Just as most everyone would if someone came on your property(in your territory) and blew away your dog or horse or falcon for "sport"! Which of course is not culturally acceptable(except maybe fer them "chicken hawks"!) Yet, despite my agreeing on this point with the Jouberts, I STILL have to acknowledge that there is NO DOUBT that Trophy hunting gives the wildlife value to the local people and brings in income like nothing else, which paradoxically helps preserve the wild habitats and species, if not certain individuals--unless it is an area with LOTS of tourism fueled by the wildlife. And I DO disagree on such a sweeping view of ALL hunting--there are ALL KINDS of hunting--trophy hunting big game being just ONE variety. I have to wonder if the Jouberts condone allowing, say, overpopulated deer to just starve to death instead of allowing some hunting for population control, Or people subsistence hunting. I have never found it any more wrong for people to hunt to eat than a cougar or a wolf, say. Sweeping generalizations are NEVER right about ANYTHING! However, his prediction about humanity's attitude COULD very well come true one day--but then modern civilization will eventually collapse as well, and IF ANY people survive THAT, it'll be back to hunting and gathering again!.....L.B.