Dear Dr. Walter Palmer, here’s what I think about your recent actions:
1. You are a wealthy, selfish, self-centered man with a blood lust and a need to have a bigger wall of trophy heads than any of your wealthy pals. You flew to Zimbabwe, hired local guides, and then shot a beautiful lion with your bow and arrow. You didn’t kill the lion immediately. Oh no. That animal suffered for 40 hours before you dispatched him with a gun. Well done, Dr. Palmer. Oh and by the way, you did not “take” the lion, you murdered it. And guess what Dr. Palmer, you aren’t just responsible for Cecil’s death, you are also responsible for the probable deaths of his offspring in the jaws of the next lion to take over the pride. It’s a good job there’s a surplus of lions in Africa. Oh wait … Scientific American says lions could be extinct in Africa by 2050.
2. Your “apology” reeks of insincerity. “I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.” Of course you regret killing this particular lion - that act has brought you public shame and humiliation. But if it had just been Anonymous Male Lion that you killed, you wouldn’t regret anything. And how does anyone “love” killing things? [Note to everyone else: If you are a patient of Dr. Palmer, run, find someone else to tinker in your mouth – he “loves” killing things.] And you don’t get to blame everything on the locals. You hired them, you are darn well responsible for their actions, your money funded them after all.
3. Dr. Palmer, just think what you could have done with those tens of thousands of dollars you spent on killing beautiful animals. You could have opened a clinic in Zimbabwe, funded anti-poaching organizations to protect endangered African wildlife, donated money to Oxford University whose research you have just compromised, funded lion conservation efforts in Africa, made micro loans to African women so that the businesses they start can support their families. What a waste Dr. Palmer!
4. Dr. Palmer, you have a lovely smile. It’s on proud display in all those gory photographs where you stand in Putinesque postures over the animals you’ve slaughtered. How great that the rest of the world has you, your perfect teeth, and your murderous pastime as its model for a successful American male.
5. You have a flexible understanding of “truth.” You lied about where you shot a bear and were found guilty of that crime. You settled a claim of sexual harassment by paying out over $127,000 for something you claim you didn’t do. Really. [Note to everyone else: Having been involved in a dispute with my own dentist, I know something about the Minnesota Board of Dentistry - the members don’t make unfounded charges.]
I’m sorry your staff are left to deal with the results of your actions. You have the money to perform a vanishing act - they probably don't.
Yours in anger,
Cheryl Blackford
1. You are a wealthy, selfish, self-centered man with a blood lust and a need to have a bigger wall of trophy heads than any of your wealthy pals. You flew to Zimbabwe, hired local guides, and then shot a beautiful lion with your bow and arrow. You didn’t kill the lion immediately. Oh no. That animal suffered for 40 hours before you dispatched him with a gun. Well done, Dr. Palmer. Oh and by the way, you did not “take” the lion, you murdered it. And guess what Dr. Palmer, you aren’t just responsible for Cecil’s death, you are also responsible for the probable deaths of his offspring in the jaws of the next lion to take over the pride. It’s a good job there’s a surplus of lions in Africa. Oh wait … Scientific American says lions could be extinct in Africa by 2050.
2. Your “apology” reeks of insincerity. “I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.” Of course you regret killing this particular lion - that act has brought you public shame and humiliation. But if it had just been Anonymous Male Lion that you killed, you wouldn’t regret anything. And how does anyone “love” killing things? [Note to everyone else: If you are a patient of Dr. Palmer, run, find someone else to tinker in your mouth – he “loves” killing things.] And you don’t get to blame everything on the locals. You hired them, you are darn well responsible for their actions, your money funded them after all.
3. Dr. Palmer, just think what you could have done with those tens of thousands of dollars you spent on killing beautiful animals. You could have opened a clinic in Zimbabwe, funded anti-poaching organizations to protect endangered African wildlife, donated money to Oxford University whose research you have just compromised, funded lion conservation efforts in Africa, made micro loans to African women so that the businesses they start can support their families. What a waste Dr. Palmer!
4. Dr. Palmer, you have a lovely smile. It’s on proud display in all those gory photographs where you stand in Putinesque postures over the animals you’ve slaughtered. How great that the rest of the world has you, your perfect teeth, and your murderous pastime as its model for a successful American male.
5. You have a flexible understanding of “truth.” You lied about where you shot a bear and were found guilty of that crime. You settled a claim of sexual harassment by paying out over $127,000 for something you claim you didn’t do. Really. [Note to everyone else: Having been involved in a dispute with my own dentist, I know something about the Minnesota Board of Dentistry - the members don’t make unfounded charges.]
I’m sorry your staff are left to deal with the results of your actions. You have the money to perform a vanishing act - they probably don't.
Yours in anger,
Cheryl Blackford
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