To me, although the killing of Cecil the Lion is tragic, the response that has followed has only increased the fact that issues that truly matter are the ones being avoided. Yes, there should be respect displayed towards protected animals, and yes, Palmer should have inquired more into the hunt before embarking on it, but that does not justify the outlandish brouhaha that has ensued. There are numerous other world crises occurring at the moment, ranging from the human refugee situation to the use of violence against a people, and little to nothing has been done to solve them. The UN has failed to pass a resolution concerning the situation in Syria, but it took them a mere number of hours to publicly denounce and condemn the killing by introducing a resolution preventing “illegal wildlife trafficking and poaching.” Since when has animal trafficking taken precedence over human trafficking? I have no intent to belittle the importance of animal life, but it is ironic, even bordering on the edge of hypocritical, that the international community has taken such a stance. In fact, most of us have some form of animal incorporated in our daily lives, whether in the form of shoes, food, or just about anything else. It may sound morbid, but in order to make an argument, the loudest supporters should have a basis in what they are trying to convey. One can’t expect to be taken seriously if they partake in that which they rally against.
This situation is more of a wake-up call for the world than it is justice for Cecil. It is important, in fact imperative, to care for the animals. But when that is substituted for eschewing the responsibility of solving real-world crises, the problem will always remain at large. It is our duty and the duty of our leaders to ensure that first and foremost, basic human rights are restored and people can once again feel safe in their world before moving on to the animals. Cecil is but one lion in thousands. Although he is treasured, the world cannot focus on one individual, or in this case, animal. We are ignoring the real issues, and if this wasn’t apparent enough already, Cecil the lion has amplified it further, making it crystal clear that the avoidance is right in front of our eyes. The world cannot continue like this. Imagine if all the protesters who were defacing Palmer’s office and are on the hunt for his head channeled their collective spirit into a human rights protest for Syria or North Korea, or the threat that Iran poses. We could make so much more progress than what is being done now. I think that the incident with Cecil the lion begs us to question the following: what truly matters to us as both a global community and a species, and how do we go about fighting that which we place as our highest priority, and then, after that, pursue action to make this a reality.
Article: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/30/us/walter-palmer-whereabouts/
