[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Editor’s Note: Sadly, Uncle Joe is no longer able to continue his popular letters column. To fill the deep void, C.A.S.H. reached out to “Amy Parker” to take over Joe’s very popular column, and we are fortunate that she has accepted the tall order. C.A.S.H. welcomes Amy’s premiere column: DEAR AMY. The column will be a bit different from Uncle Joe, which we’ve all grown used to, but we are certain that you won’t be disappointed. As this is the first column, Amy’s letters have been culled from previous responses to her letters to the editor of various publications.
LETTER TO C.A.S.H. READERS FROM AMY PARKER
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”21952″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Dear C.A.S.H. Readers,
In the years I’ve been advocating for wildlife, I’ve learned a thing or two: namely, that hunters and trappers rely on the same exhausted defenses, and those defenses are inherently contradictory. I’ve also learned something about myself: it’s a lot of fun to tear those defenses apart, all while raising awareness and inspiring others to action! I’m therefore excited to take the reins from Uncle Joe, who has made me laugh and has given me something to look forward to ever since I discovered his Q & A.
Before we get to this issue’s letters, I’d like to share a bit about my journey to activism. First, Amy is not my real name. I am a woman advocate living in rural America, and I’ll use my own real experiences as an advocate. By now, I’ve figured out that in order to protect myself and my family, using a pseudonym is the best choice. Strangely enough, one of our letters addresses this very issue!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Second, I want to share a little about how I’ve arrived at where I am. I was enthralled by wildlife as a kid—my dad took me to Shenandoah National Park when I was nine years old, and watching the deer graze peacefully in the meadow in the evenings was heaven to me. My mom and I rescued all manner of wildlife when I was growing up: birds and chipmunks, mostly, nursing them back to health after they were hit by cars or injured by neighborhood cats.
Like most kids, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would intentionally cause harm to a being as gentle as deer, or as awe-inspiring as a black bear. I hated the idea of hunting. Young people are naturally averse to anything that harms animals—that is, until the adults set them straight about the order of the world. I remember grown-ups reassuring me that hunting animals was natural and normal, a pursuit that was necessary to keep the population in balance. For many years I believed them.
After moving to a rural property as an adult, I began to see things differently. My family’s land was now bordered on all sides by hunting and trapping. From our back porch, I saw deer driven from one side of a field into the waiting guns on the other. I found shot or impaled animals, some of whom were decapitated, that had been left to rot. I observed hunters and trappers laughing, smoking, and high-fiving over the bodies of their victims and I knew that there had to be a better way.
Thankfully, public interest in hunting and trapping have largely waned, with fewer licenses sold every year. It seems that hunters have one tool left as they struggle to maintain their death-grip on state wildlife agencies: convince the public that killing animals is necessary to prevent ecological collapse. As wildlife advocates, we have a responsibility to help others understand that the key to ecological balance isn’t the camo-clad wannabe in the souped-up truck—it’s a deeper, more empathetic connection to the natural world upon which all of us depend.
There’s so much to discuss when it comes to dismantling our current system of mis-management, and so many ways that each of us can do our part to protect wild lives. Hunters aren’t going down without a fight, so without further ado, let’s get to our letters! AMY PARKER (Pseudonym)
Amy,
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I don’t understand how any sane woman is opposed to hunting when hunting is actually a great opportunity for so many women. There are more women hunters feeding their families than ever before and I for one have a closet full of pink camo that I couldn’t be more proud of. Why can’t you supposed liberals get over yourselves and admit that hunting has provided a HUGE platform for us ladies?
Sincerely,
Brenda-Marie Adamson, Lockport, NY.
Dear Brenda-Marie,
Thank you for raising this important point! It’s true that there are now more women buying hunting licenses than ever before. While the number of male hunters continues to decline, we have seen an uptick in the number of women who are pursuing this form of “recreation” (though let’s be real—not enough to save hunting from a demise that can’t come a minute too soon).
It’s funny to me that women such as yourself insist that men suddenly welcoming you to their ranks only as a result of their own numbers dwindling could feel anything like liberation. Before those same men got desperate, they clearly didn’t want you there. Now we see states such as New York trying to entice women by recognizing pink camouflage as acceptable hunting attire. Oooh! Oooh! Pink camo for the girls!
I’m guessing you’ve watched the same Outdoors shows featuring “huntresses” as I have. By and large, these present women as highly sexualized objects of desire. You can almost hear all those old-school male hunters down at the local rod and gun club saying, Sure, we’re okay with women hunting now that we’re all dying off. Even better if they’re hot!
The real question is, as a strong, independent woman, how could you view this recent welcoming as anything less than offensive?
Best,
Amy
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Hey Amy,
What I want to know is why the heck dont you use your real name for your column. If your so proud to be an Anti youd think youd come out and say it insted of hiding in the shadows like the scared little witch that you are. Your not getting a lick of respect from me or my buddies unless you say your real name!
Trent M. Reilly, Foggy Bottom, WV
Dear Trent,
Let me tell you something: I used my real name to advocate for wildlife for several years. You’re right that I’m proud to be an advocate, and to defend the most vulnerable among us, those without a voice; it’s an honor that I and fellow advocates take seriously.
However, let’s be honest about the crowd you run with. Modern hunting culture is divorced from survival and necessity—you can tell yourself you’re hunting to feed your family, but since it’s cheaper to fill your freezer at the Piggly Wiggly, we know that’s not it. You hunt for the thrill. You hunt because you enjoy the feeling of power and dominion over another, “lesser” species.
Big surprise, I’ve had my life and family threatened by the good ol’ boys at the hunting club. I might as well have a target on my back, just like your coveted trophy bucks. I’ve had my posted signs plowed down by an angry hunter-neighbor, I’ve received hate mail and videos of dead or tortured animals in my Facebook inbox, and I’ve been called every name in the book in the comment sections of editorials I’ve written. Interestingly, those insults I refer to always seem to be gender-specific—in case you’re not sure what that means, you’ve used one to describe me above, tame though it may be in comparison.
I’m proud to be an advocate, but I also realize that I’m up against a crowd that euphemizes violence as “sport.” I’m not afraid, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to use my wits in this fight. The safety of my family depends on it.
All best to you,
Amy[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]