There’s an op-ed in today’s paper about Walter Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the the lion and hasn’t had a real fun time since because the internet. Next target of animal lovers’ outrage? Dallas oilman Kerry Krottinger. Have a look at this picture of his trophy room, which appeared in a National Geographic story about taxidermy. Krottinger has a lot of it in his house. So he must be evil!
Me personally, I don’t like to kill big animals. Too messy. But I think I understand the allure for big-game hunters. Even hunting quail is thrilling. And I know an argument can be made, strangely enough, that hunting animals responsibly can be an effective tool in conservation. Read this sad, fascinating GQ story about an elephant hunt, if you don’t believe me.
All of which is to say: hunting, it’s a complicated topic. There isn’t much middle ground. That’s why I can’t understand why Kerry Krottinger let National Geographic into his house. Krottinger might be the most ethical hunter ever to pull a trigger. He might donate large sums every year to animal conservation. It won’t matter. Because when you surround yourself with your trophies and pose proudly in front of them for National Geographic, you know you are going to get hassled. You are asking to get hassled.
Good luck with that, Mr. Krottinger.
