Today I wake up and see that the United States is removing restrictions on importing African elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. That will open the door to Americans going over there to hunt endangered big game. I am sickened by this and I have to go straight to the top. Mr. President, you’re just plain wrong.
Permitting the importation of elephant trophies? Are you kidding? This is a stereotype of the ugly Republican . . . on steroids. Everything the left says about the insensitive, earth-killing, animal destroying, oafish Republican is coming to fruition all in one move. Who advised you on this Mr. President? You still have time to reverse this order and restore common decency. Stop the importation of elephant trophies and stop it NOW. If you do not do this you will forever lose the independent, animal-loving voter.
The restrictions were created in 2014 because the African elephant population had dropped. The animals are listed in the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which requires the U.S. government to protect endangered species in other countries. CNN reports the number of elephants in the wild plummeted 30 percent overall between 2007 and 2014, despite large scale conservation efforts. In some places it has dropped more than 75 percent due to ivory poaching.
Look we know in certain regions of Africa since this went into effect there is an overpopulation of elephants because of conservation efforts. But this does not justify the hunting and killing of them is. Remember Mr. President, we are the elephant. I am the elephant, you are the elephant. And when we lose our compassion for the world’s most noble living creature, who is next? Will we start culling the human herd saying there’s overpopulation as well? Many believe we are doing just that now anyway. We are desensitizing ourselves to the taking of life. Insensitivity leads to brutality. We need to get back to a respect for life.
This lesson of respect for life goes back all the way to the beginning of the bible in Genesis. I wrote about it in a chapter called “Dominion” in my book "God, Faith, and Reason."
Dr. Michael Savage is a multimedia icon in the conservative movement, heard by 10 million listeners a week on “The Michael Savage Show” and syndicated across the U.S. in more than 300 markets. He is also the author of 25 books, including four New York Times best-sellers. In 2007, his media presence and profile earned him the coveted “Freedom of Speech Award” from Talkers Magazine.