Wolf advocacy has been reduced to putting out brush fires. Every day there’s a new crisis or new campaign to persecute wolves. It goes on and on, draining energy, sending me into dark moods, constantly on the defensive.
I cut back on posting for the last several months for precisely this reason. It doesn’t mean I’m ignoring the bad stuff but I want to concentrate on solving this crisis, to come up with solutions.
I’m a passionate person, I guess I don’t have to tell you that. When I care about something, I throw myself into it wholeheartedly, as I did this blog, which has given me a forum to share my passion with you, to give wolf advocates a home where your beliefs aren’t called into question every second, a place where you don’t have to defend your positions and explain why wolves are worth caring about. I would love to bring you good news every day. To say wolves are doing just fine, that the persecution has stopped and the fairy tale ending has come true. That’s what I wish I could tell you. Unfortunately that’s not the case.
This year has been especially difficult because wolf advocates have had to watch the systematic slaughter of innocent wolves, while feeling powerless to stop it. That is not a good way to feel. It’s a bad way to feel. And it keeps us grounded in sorrow. The hunts took a toll on all of us. Gruesome picture after gruesome picture of dead wolves littered the Internet and still do. The worst is knowing wolves are suffering, the horrors of the past have come home to roost. Many wolves are tortured to death before they finally subcumb. Where’s the “code of ethics” hunters say they live by? Shame on all who torture and kill animals for blood lust.
I don’t want to see one more picture of a dead wolf, I don’t want to hear one more word about elk, I don’t want to hear one more word about cows. I’m sick of it. I’m so sick of it that it makes me sick.
I’m going to focus on what we can do, not what we can’t do. I want to feel energized again, as I did when I started this blog. Letting others dictate how I should feel about wolves or why this battle is lost or no matter what we do we can’t change things, that’s not going to be part of my thinking.
I can’t just hope things will change I want to be part of that change. Is there too much hoping going on and not enough doing? I know many people like to rely on hope but doesn’t that somehow free you from having to do anything about the situation? If you just hope things will change but don’t participate in ways to effect change, isn’t that a cop-out?
If you love and care about wolves then you’ll want to do something about it. No amount of bad news is going to stop you. I’m not going to give up because MT FWP received a $50,000 dollar donation from the RMEF to help kill wolves. I’m not going to stop standing up for wolves because the anti-wolf crowd was successful in removing their ESA protections.
We’re in a difficult battle that’s not going very well at the moment but it doesn’t mean we should give up and go hide somewhere, pretending it’s not happening. Let ostriches do that.
I guess what I’m trying to say is we all have a part to play. Things are bad for wolves right now but lamenting over every bit of bad news keeps us paralyzed. The best we can do with the bad news is to spread it around so the uninformed can become informed and join our fight. Those of us in the trenches already know the sad truth and that’s what gives us strength to keep moving forward in these dark times. I know the wolf hating crowd is hoping we’ll give up and accept that wolves will be killed by the hundreds every year until they are all gone or their population will be so small and beleaguered only their shadows will remain. Well that’s not going to happen!!
So I’m moving forward. I don’t want to keep begging people in power to give me something. Nobody gives up power willingly. Dealing with the states and their wolf hating mania seems futile to me. I believe the only way to save wolves is to bypass the states and go directly to the feds and demand they right the wrong of wolf delisting, which was rammed through riding on a budget bill.
But none of this will mean anything without the participation of everyday Americans, most of whom are unaware of the wolves’ plight because the MSM won’t cover it. They’re too in love with Obama to make him look bad, so they’ve chosen to ignore it. If it wasn’t for the Internet the story would have been completely buried.
We need to concentrate on the big picture and not get bogged down in the minutia of wolf hating policies the states are deluging us with. They’ve proved without any doubt they are incapable of caring for wolves and only want to see their numbers driven to absolute minimums based on an outdated, politically motivated, unscientific “wolf plan” that’s 17 years old.
So put down the fire hoses, we have work to do.
RELIST GRAY WOLVES!!
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Beyond Hope
by Derrick Jensen
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/170/
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Top Photo: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Bottom photo: Courtesy LA Times
Posted in: Wolf Wars, Activism, Howling for Justice
Tags: relist gray wolves, wolf persecution, scapegoating, fear mongering, America’s wolves
Boulder White Clouds Council
Exposing The Big Game
Footloose Montana
Friends of the Clearwater
Lockwood Animal Rescue Center
Louise du Toit
LUPUSLAETUS
Mercy For Animals
Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA)
Predator Friendly®- Because Wildlife Matters
Project Coyote
Project: Wolf
The Nature Conservancy
The Ravensong Group
WildEarth Guardians
Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife
Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
Wolf Song of Alaska
Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
WWP's Gray Wolf Page
Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative
Howling For Justice 
Nabeki, hunting is not and never has been a sport: http://fortytwoteeth.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/hunting-is-not-a-sport/
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owstarr….you’re so right, it isn’t a sport, it’s bloodlust!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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“Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they’re in the game.”
Paul Rodriguez
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Hunting and fishing should be only for the purpose of feeding yourself and your immediate family. And nobody eats wolves. End of story.
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Except for Liam Neeson in Grey!
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Yes, that is the right direction to go. I am still completely incredulous that the so-called “viable” numbers of wolves to be maintained by the states is miniscule. All of this has to be reworked. Where are the wildlife biologists/ecologists in all of this? And the issue of public land use being so heavily influenced by hunters and the other industries that destroy the wild and the widlife. Where is the likes of Ted Turner in all of this. At least he has the resources to buy enough land to reintroduce native species like the wolf and let them live. Yes, the feds have to right the wrong that they perpetrated.
Yes, Nabeki, we are still out here, gathering our energies, preparing to forge ahead.
Thank you and rest your heart for just a little while.
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i have contacted mr. turner’s daughter who is vitally concerned about and involved in organizations for the environment.we may be having an event to raise awareness for the wolves ,in the not too distant future..
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Thank you, hd, I am so very happy to hear this!
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I’m glad to hear it hd. We need to bring new players into this, new voices and Ted Turner is certainly a powerful voice.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Janet…I’m glad you agree, we really have to get off the sorrow train and get our mojo back. We only have a few short months before the horror show is repeated once again. This is an election year and I think everyone should take the time to write to the 81 Senators who voted to delist wolves, especially the Democrats, who sold wolves down the river for Jon Tester’s Senate seat just so they could hold onto their tiny Senate majority. What they did has caused so much suffering yet it’s hardly ever brought up, just like nobody talks about Obama delisting wolves TWICE in his first term or his appointment of a rancher to the Interior. It’s mind boggling when you know the MSM is purposely ignoring this issue but not only the MSM but some of the large environmental groups have been all over the map on wolf delisting.
The only way this is going to get done is with a strong grass roots push, these are America’s wolves, America paid to have them reintroduced and now a minority of wolf haters have hijacked their recovery, destroying decades of work, causing terrible suffering, not to mention the millions of dollars of tax payer money that was used for the reintroduction. Wolves need federal protection, they can’t survive without it in this toxic environment.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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There are many biologists, from many universities, who have recently studied the ecology off the interior Northwest. The statistics and recommendations have indeed been worked and reworked, and prove beyond doubt that due to man’s interference the balance of species (both fauna and flora) has been upset, perhaps beyond repair. It remains to convince the politicians of all parties that the scientists are correct. Between the tea party, and the 1% in which I include the NRA and oil and gas prospectors, there seems to be collective deafness. We see how all this fits in as just another way the politicians have found to cater to big money.
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I totally agree with you – the Feds need to be held accountable for this.
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Ida, yes and I’m going to focus on this at every turn.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Nabeki.
thank you again for your positive words and sense of moving forward.i also want to be a part of the Solution and not just howl against the problem.change does not happen fast.(,unless,it seems, it is for the worse.!!)..but i do not and will not be bogged down in the mire of negativity . staying positive in the light of so much hate,killing and ignorance is difficult, but i must focus on the small,positive things that ARE out there , for my own sanity.sometimes,like you ,i just need a break from the heartbreak. and then return with renewed energy and spirit.. one last thing to think about,the more the negative energy and attitudes are thrown around and spread the more they grow..let’s keep working the wolves and the eco-system with more attention to love for the wolves and mother earth than Hate for the ones who harm them.it’s soo HARD but i think it vital ..for our planet..which, by the way will get along just FINE without us,i.e.MAn.should we make choices to go keep going in this direction!.taking a positive Action,no matter how small, is the best thing we can do…one person at a time,one action at a time..it grows.
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hd…I agree completely. What really changed my attitude was watching a special on either NOVA or Nature called Radioactive Wolves. Wolves and so many other animals have returned to Cherynobl. The area is still very dangerous, the radiation particles are embedded in the soil. But there are at least 20 to 30 wolves packs there and so many other animals. The buildings are being reclaimed by the forest, everything is grown over. What struck me is a nuclear disaster is helping wolves find a place in this world where they can be relatively safe.
They haven’t been studying the wolves long enough to say what the radiation will do to them in the long run but wolves are breeding in “The Zone” and the pups appear normal. It’s an incredible story and one I would recommend people to watch. The irony is that because humans won’t return to that place for a long, long time wolves and other creatures have found a radioactive paradise.
Where there is life there is hope. It reminds me of a line from Jurassic Park, “Nature will find a way”.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Don’t worry Nebeki the message is slowly spreading and a change is gonna come. You are not standing alone. The information and connection you provide is working to get the message out and generate support. It’s time now to ramp up the letter writing and do some fund raising for news aids and billboards and most of all legislation. Forget the big guys like DOW or HSUS.ayne PETA can help. But the killing will one day STOP!
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That’s exactly where I was going with this Donna, thank you for echoing the same sentiment. Things must change and for the last year we’ve been so focused on the negative, myself included it’s drained our spirit. We need to get back on track to help the wolves out of this terrible situation and we can’t do it by being sad and defeated. The federal route is the only way to go. There is sufficient proof the states are horribly mishandling wolves, of course we all knew this would happen so it’s not a surprise but all the same it’s very hard to take.
The only way to go is forward, we can accomplish much if the grass roots movement stays united in purpose and speaks with one voice, something the large environmental groups have a hard time doing. There are some very good ones like WildEarth Guardians, WWP, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and CBD. We can align ourselves with them but it’s time for the people to take over this fight and protect America’s wolves.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Speaking of rogue agencies we keep hearing about as of late (from The Wildlife News):
“A rare opportunity for the public and Congress to expose and change these federal wildlife killers?
John Campbell, a Republican from Irvine, California, and Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon, want Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to hold an investigatory hearing on the activities of the U.S. Wildlife Services, the Dept. of Agriculture outfit that kills so many of our native wildlife just to satisfy the livestock interests.”
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It was a long time coming Ida. Animal Damage Control (WS) has been slaughtering millions of America’s wildlife for agribusiness every year, with almost no accountability. Who are these people that kill animals for a living? What kind of mind set do you have to have to go home every night, knowing you’re getting paid to kill? It reminds me of people who work in slaughterhouses, who can possibly do that day after day? It’s mind boggling.
I hope this investigation materializes and exposes this terrible agency and the damage it’s done. Then abolish it. It exists as a subsidy for agriculture, we are paying to have wildlife killed for ranchers and farmers. The amount of subsidies prop up agribusiness is staggering. And they complain about people on welfare, THEY are the biggest welfare recipients of all!!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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I agree. I could never understand how people, who themselves fear pain so much, can be serial killers of animals. They must never stop and think about how the animals feel, and that probably wouldn’t make a difference to them anyway. Some people believe they have a biblical right to use animals as they wish, for pleasure or profit. One person who commented on slaughterhouse workers was Upton Sinclair, who wrote one of the first exposes of the horrors of the killing. He notes, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Frankly, I still can’t understand the ability to destroy life.
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They have no empathy Marcia. I think there is a name for that. The same name they have for people who enjoy killing!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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The barbaric slaughtering has been heard around the world and many people in foreign countries hate Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. That’s all well and good, but unfortunately it doesn’t hold water as far as these backwoods bozos are concerned. We need armor and weapons and learn to fight them the way they fight. Obama is most likely a plant or the anti-christ….or at least his actions lean that way. We have to find the right people that have pull that can put an end to this horrific slaughtering. Quite a few people in the Senate are on the wolves’ side, but not enough. We can’t wait until we get rid of Obama, because by then we will only have shadows. I’ve written to the White House, the governors of these killer states, the F&W of these states, their assemblymen, senators, different wolf groups. We’re missing a link somewhere. I know it’s there, I just don’t know who or where to find it. Whatever…I’m with you. I can’t travel, but I can write and holler and protest from this computer. Years ago I saved a wolf who was going to be put down to show people that you can’t have wolves as pets. ISome egotistical maniac captured him in the woods of Minnesota when he was a pup.) Once again, persecute the wolf. I had an old typewriter, got out my Conservation Directory, started typing letters day and night. (Was sick with bronchial pneumonia..but I could still sit there and type). I started calling people. Fought the town, the city, the county, the state and the federal government. I won! Thor, the timber wolf I saved (and another one) were flown out of NYS at night to Oregon where they eventually built him the largest, most beautiful compound ever. So…IT CAN BE DONE! We can’t stop until the wolf is safe, no matter what it takes.
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FTI, Anne, there is nothing wrong with the wolf rescues in the state of New York. New York has more acres of designated wilderness land than any state other than Alaska, and it has none of the northwest’s gun-happy redneck ranchers. In South Salem, NY they also have the Wolf Conservation Center with huge wooded spaces dedicated exclusively to many rescued wolves (greys and reds) that are being rehabilitated for placement in SAFE wilderness areas. This organization has a nation-wide education program; and if you want to find out how to effectively approach your legislators, ask the WCC.
Remember Oregon happens to be one of those killer states you mentioned! Their killing spree was only temporarily enjoined. So now you’re glad there might eventually (“pie in the sky bye and bye”) be an enclosure built for one wolf in Oregon? A zoo? Get him back if you can, please.
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This was many years ago. Thor lived to be 17. They found a mate for him, Nahanie, from the San Diego zoo. (Where she was being picked on by other wolves) They did have Thor neutered, unfortunately, but now as I see it, it was for the better. Few less to die a horrific deaths in the years to come. Thor has been gone now for about 15 years. (Still miss him. Always will. The pain of his passing never lessens, but I know he’s in a better place.) As for NYS, last I knew the wolf was protected, but of course, there hasn’t been a wolf in NYS since 1908. Good law. Makes sense. The Adirondacks are huge. Be perfect for them, but people live with their fairy tales. To them those are the gospel truth. Anyhow, if there is anything that resembles a wolf in NYS,they’re probably hybrids, or people here might mistake a coyote for a wolf. Heck, I worked with somebody that thought the animal in the picture peering over the snowbank was a cat. CAT?! That’s a wolf! Anyhow, Thor lived a good life. I used to cook him up some chicken livers and onions. He loved them. So, whenever I was able to fly out to Oregon, I’d stop in a supermarket and buy tons of chicken liver and onions. The Wildlife Safari let me use their kitchen to cook up the goodies for him. This was many years ago when all wolves were’t in the gunsights of lunatics. (PS: They found Thor in New York City, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.) Be kind of hard to get him back…ya think?
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Good for you! If enough people worked hard and did what they could, their voices would be heard and hopefully the world would be a better place for nonhuman animals.
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Change ,thats whats so hard for people and the magic thing to find is a reason for people to affect it , battles(fires) come and go but wars are what has to be won , common sense must prevail and it isn’t , the saving grace is that americans are lazy and hunters are even lazier,so time is on our side , the economy is bad and most people can’t afford to hunt , I believe the children are our answer to stopping the slaughter and more pic’s of the horror have to hit the internet, the key was let out by old “Josh”, he wished he would of never posted that pic, another one is to tell trappers your going to throw their traps away when you find them in the woods , go for a snowmobile ride along their trap lines its easy
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I guess I have one comment that will be considered “off the mark.” First of all, I deplore the slaughter of thewolves. Many hunters are not just killing, they are deliberately torturing animals who cannot help being what they are. Some of the methods of killing wolves 100 or so years ago were even more gruesome and horrific than the ones we hear about now. However, while I am disgusted with the killing and know we have to accept wolves for what and who they are, I cannot help feeling sorry for the prey and for the fear and pain they must feel in in the chase and while being killed. Frankly, nature is just not always pretty and all the deaths are sad.
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We didn’t create nature, nature created us and we do have a responsibility to maintain a balance which includes predator and prey. It is a world of eat and be eaten. The energy is shared throughout the fabric of life. Just a thought.
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Marcia…I understand where you are coming from, predation is not pretty but very necessary. Wolves, bears, lions and other apex predators are needed to keep ungulate herds healthy and under control. Many national parks are screaming for predators because the ungulates are mowing down everything in their path. Aldo Leopold describes it perfectly in “Thinking Like a Mountain”.
Predators and prey have existed side by side for millenia. It’s nature and it’s sometimes brutal. Human hunting on the other hand serves no real purpose in nature, especially trapping and snaring and other torture devices. When we were hunter gatherers it was different, we didn’t have refrigerators to store meat. We were always hungry and needed to hunt. But we don’t need to hunt now and that’s the material difference between us and wolves. Wolves must hunt to live and by doing so they give so much back to nature. They provide food for a host of other creatures, including coyotes, raves, eagles and even grizzly bears, who often steal wolf carcasses. The wonder of wolves can be witnessed since their return to Yellowstone where they have driven the elk off the stream banks, which brought back the water managing beavers, ash and cottonwood trees are flourishing providing vital habitat for song birds. Wolves control coyote numbers in the park which in turn helps the Pronghorn antelope, because coyotes feed heavily on Pronghorn fawns. So yes predation can be cruel but it’s also life giving and provides better habitat for the remaining prey.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Sorry Nabeki, this was meant to be in reply to Marcia. My apologies.
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No problem. Hunting isn’t a sport, it’s cruel game perpetrated on unsuspecting animals. Trophy hunting is the worst of the worst, the state of Montana actually told hunters they could leave wolves that they killed on site, if they didn’t want to handle them. Beautiful animals minding their own business cut down and then left to rot, for what?
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Thank you, Nabeki, for your message. I do agree with you and wasn’t blaming the wolves for the work they do. For tens of millions of years, animals changed, adapted, and evolved into the remarkable web of life we know and wish to preserve. Scientists tend to focus on the species and their welfare and survival, and that is we judge how things are doing and how the animals are faring, predators and prey. We know how dependent all are on each other and how they give back, whether wolves in their territory or bears catching salmon that they leave in the woods and whose bodies make the soil richer. However, moving beyond the facts of science, I personally believe every life is important and that is why I do think about the lives that are difficult and short in the workings of nature.
Obviously, are biggest problems for the wild ones are caused by the human beings who are so arrogant they believe they should decide who can live and who can die. If they think they can’t kill enough elk, then they’ll kill wolves to destroy the “competition.” If there is karma, and I hope there is, Nature may take revenge in Her own time and Her own way.
Blessings to all the wild ones.
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That is Nature and if you believe in God and that He is a merciful and loving God, and He created all creatures, then why do you feel “sorry for the prey and for the fear and pain they must feel in the chase and while being killed”? The Bible acknowledges God’s association with animals by associating the lion and the lamb and if a sparrow should fall. I know animals fear death and pain, even when it comes to euthanasia
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A number of points. First of all, you touched on the most important issue of theodicy (the branch of theology that asks how a just and merciful God can create a world with pain and suffering). Theologians have been trying to satisfactorily answer that question for centuries but not very successfully. Second, the Bible does associate the lion and the lamb, but the most important passage in the Bible with that association is Isaiah’s concept of a peaceable kingdon, where (to paraphrase) the lion lies down with the lamb and the leopard lies down with the kid. So even the Bible recognizes that a place (probably not in this world!) without bloodshed would be good. The myths of many cultures have stories to explain why there is pain in the world, often attributing to human intervention and sin, which redound on all creatures.
So, while we have to take nature as it is, look after the earth, protect all animals and care for them for who and what they are, we can still feel bad for the “losers.”
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Thank you for your heartfelt message and the feelings with which it was written. You are correct in thinking that we all know the horror stories, and while they do keep the anger flowing they can also drag you down to despair and suck your energy to the point of not knowing which way to move forward.
I would just like to sing your praises and say that you are responsible for me aswell as many others joining in with the protection of these wonderful creature’s. Without you and some other people i would never have realised the extent of the wolf persecution, as here in Ireland you hear very little apart from nature programmes and i for one was still under the assumption that wolves were still in the introduction stage and would be protected for the foreseeable future. The shock of the onslaught of pictures showing the torture and abuses suffered by mans hand also lead me to despondency. The good news is what really helps people carry on. So in short all i really needed to say was that i am behind you 100% lets focus on positives as it will promote more positive thinking which is the formula for solutions .
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Thank you steven for your heartfelt message, it’s so wonderful to hear from people all over the world who care about the earth and wildlife. We are truly all connected in this battle to save the earth from ourselves. We are such a destructive species but there are also terrific people like yourself and others who care and so I take heart in that. What happened to wolves should never have happened but we can’t change the past, so our energies have to be spent moving toward solutions. We are never going to convince the radical fringe that wolves are worthwhile and I don’t even want to try. But it’s people like yourself who had no idea this was going on that we have to reach, because I believe people love wolves, they are the rock stars of Yellowstone National Park, bringing in over 35 million annually to the GYA. There are many more wolf supporters than hunters and ranchers barons.
This may be a long battle but I truly believe the tide will turn in our favor once people know the truth.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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“I believe people love wolves, they are the rock stars of Yellowstone National Park, bringing in over 35 million annually to the GYA.”
I love it! So true, and they are. 🙂
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Ida…The wolf states are so short sighted, they could profit off wolf ecotourism instead of killing wolves. If they would stop listening to the hunting and ranching lobbies, outfitters could guide people in wolf country to see wolves and use their camera’s instead of guns. There is no reason to be killing these animals, it’s a travesty and it has to stop. That’s why we have to work to relist them so they are protected from brutal state management.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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One of the missing links in the fight to save the wolves is the national media’s refusal to cover this topic. Without a strong campaign in the major newspapers and TV stations we will continue to be powerless and accomplish nothing. People are not aware of what is going on in the Northern Rockies. Boycotts do not work unless there is a strong campaign to spread the word about the wolf slaughter. I live in Massachusetts. Local supermarkets are packed with Idaho potatoes, Wisconsin cheese and who knows how many other products from the wolf killing states. Is it going to make a difference that I am probably the only one who does not buy them? No! Another missing link is the lack of endorsement of the cause to save the wolves by celebrities or wealthy, well known people. For example, Pamela Anderson, Natalie Portman, Paul McCartney are well known for their fight against animal cruelty, Alicia Silverstone fights for the environment, Brad Pitt is building houses in New Orleans and even met with President Obama himself to get the government involved in funding eco-friendly housing projects. The list is long, but nobody is lending a hand to the wolves. Ashley Judd spoke against aerial shooting at some point, but that was a few years ago. Another missing link is the silence and lack of aggressive action by the big and powerful organizations like the Humane Society or the Defenders of Wildlife (they still have stuff about the wolves on their website, but it is mainly petitions, petitions, petitions). To conclude, there are many missing links and, in the meantime, the wolves will continue to be mercilessly killed.
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Remember President Carter’s famous saying: “When you’re up to your ass in alligators, it’s time to find out who gave the orders to drain the pond.”
In other words, WHY is the media being shut up? WHY are the teen idols looking away? WHY do political candidates from both major parties support proposals such as the Sportsmen’s Heritage Law? Clearly there are huge amounts of money being thrown at these people. The sources of funds must be exposed somehow: confronting them is the way to spotlight reticent journalists, show biz “personalities” and political hacks as co-conspirators in this absurdity of wildlife slaughter.
The importance of the entire problem of greed-fed cowardice and cruelty must be examined. Unchecked, these lowest of human traits will eventually lead to our demise as a nation.
So for a start, I believe both the NRA and the oil and gas industry have vested interests in cleansing the interior northwest of wildlife. Note that the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act contains provisions for increased road building and “mineral resource recovery” (read, hydraulic fracturing) as well as lead bullet shooting, in all National Parks and Wildlife Areas! The wolf wars are a headliner because their drama appeals to the small brains of the cowboys/hunters, who seem to enjoy the fifteen minutes of fame they get by infuriating conservationists. (The fur industry has long since banned the sale or purchase of wolf pelts so they have no practical value.)
There are still die-hards within the advertising industry who must be silenced somehow. Volvo deserves all the nasty responses we can dish out, for their currently running TV ad featuring Red Riding Hood’s red car being chased by some sort of non-wolf photoshopped monstrosity. And the current crop of idiotic werewolf movies are now being advertised for sale as DVDs. Can any of you suggest how best to voice our objections to this nonsense?
I take issue with anyone who complains about the efforts of Defenders or any other humane or rescue associations. Teamwork is the only way to get this job done. When we can say we outnumber the membership of the NRA, somebody has to listen! That’s why petitions make sense.
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This was my Bible when looking for help in order to save my best friend, Thor, the timber wolf. I would have been lost without it. This is the latest issue they have, but the last one I had I used for many, many years. Maybe some of the people have left, but the organizations are still there and still fighting for the same things. This is what we need for our ammunition. Off to buy a copy online right now.
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Agreed! It takes information and organized numbers of people to make up for the money spent by the hunting groups supporting the legislators and their wolf laws. If enough people protested and boycotted, something could get done.
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I know how you feel Nabeki and just when I cannot stand another horror story I see this:
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/news/2012/may/alaska-trapper-shoot.html
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God bless you Nabeki. This was one of your best essays from an emotional perspective; well written, thought provoking & honest. You are a good soul & an amazing source of information & sincerity. I wish your heart & all of us who love these legendary beings were in a more happy place. I know it’s difficult under the shitty circumstances. The soulless ones will never be free from their willful ignorance. They have hurt all who want peace & harmony to our very core with their physical & psychological warfare. I too have become deeply depressed & astonished at the depth of my devastation for the plight of the Wolf. I have mourned hard & long nevertheless I feel rejuvenated by your “Putting out Brushfires” thoughts. Actually we shouldn’t be “putting away the fire hoses” though; instead we need to continuously enlighten & light brushfires in the minds of those reading or listening to us, thereby initiating a positive socio-political domino effect of wildlife/wolf preservation. Changing one mind at a time, ‘till the snowball grows & cannot be ignored. Hopefully it will not be too late…
~Peace~ Flash~
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Agreed.
How can there be so many stupid, blind people? Sometimes it seems there is no point in trying to get through to the wolf killers or the sleazy politicians who watch in amusement from the sidelines. In so many ways this is a recreation of the fall of the Roman Empire. It scares me.
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Nabeki, what you say is very true..We shall not stay in the shadows mourning the deaths of our brothers, I have recieved countless critics and even offenses for my passion for wolves and I think that is a laughable fact that some people criticize us for what we do even if they don’t have a purpose, I mean we defend what is worth being defended, we give our lives for our wolves, but what do the criticizers do?? Nothing, they don’t have a purpose or at least a noble cause to defend and they even dare to mock at us. I also totally agree with attending directly the federal authorities about this insanity we must have them exposed to the world for what they are and what they do, show their faces to all american people and tell them in detail what they have done and approved other barbaric people to do. You can all know that as a matter of fact I will never stop at nothing to help the wolves, this battle for wolves has turned into a war, and we need soldiers, because we are fighting against an army many times our size, but our spirit and determination can’t and will not be tamed. It is in our hands, wolf fighters, to make that spirit become a physical indomitable force against those who want to make this world a hell for man’s best friend.
Anything I will do to help you can count on me Nabeki, trust me, if I could leave High School and walk a thousand miles from my home in Texas to stand right there in the front lines, I would do it and those in charge of the state would find me as a bit of a very threatening foe.
Again, anything you and the wolves need, let me know.
Daniel..
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From ‘The Philosopher and the Wolf’ by Mark Rowlands.
“The ape that I am is a crabbed, graceless creature that deals in weakness; a weakness that it manufactures in others, and a weakness with which it is ultimately infected. It is this weakness that permits evil – moral evil – a foothold in the world. The art of the wolf is grounded in its strength.
When Brenin (the wolf) was around two months old, I took him to rugby practice, as usual. This was during the time that he had taken to tormenting Rugger (a 95 pound pit bull and Brenin’s ‘adversary in’ life!) and Rugger didn’t like him at all. Eventually, Rugger lost his temper, grabbed Brenin by the neck and pinned him to the ground. To his great credit, that’s all Rugger did. He could easily have snapped Brenin’s little neck like a twig. Even a pit bull can pass Kundera’s test. But it is Brenin’s reaction that will always stay with me. Most puppies would have screeched out in shock and fear. Brenin growled. This was not the growl of a puppy, but a deep and calm and sonorous growl that belied his tender age. That is strength. And that is what I have always tried to carry around with me, and I hope I always will. As an ape, I will fall short of this; but I have an obligation, a moral obligation, never to forget it and to emulate it as far as I can. If I can only be as strong as a two-month old wolf cub, then I am a soil where moral evil will not grow.
An ape would have scurried away to darkly plot his revenge; to work out ways of manufacturing weakness in those who are stronger than him and who have humiliated him. And when that work is complete, then evil can be done. I am an ape through accident of birth. But in my best moments I am a wolf cub snarling out my defiance to a pit bull that has smashed me into the ground. My growl is a recognition that pain is coming, for pain is the nature of life. It is the recognition that I am nothing more than a cub and, at any time, the pit bull of life can snap my neck like a twig. But it is also the will that I won’t back down, no matter what.
I once had a colleague who was unusual among philosophers in that he was a believer. He always used to tell his students: when the shit hits the fan you will believe. Maybe that’s what happens. When the shit hits the fan, people look for God. But when the shit hits the fan, I remember a little wolf cub.”
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Thank you so much for that Kaufman. And now I will never forget the 2 month wolf cub and it’s courage.
David Forjan
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My pleasure…now perhaps pay it forward….
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To Kaufmann: I will indeed. In honor of brother wolf. David Forjan
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That’s such a nice thought – It’s so infuriating because what’s happening to the wolves is so unfair! But I will think of your post.
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DEAR NABEKI! I READ IN TEARS YOUR LAST POST…IT’S TUCHED SO MUCH MY HEART. YOU ARE MY HERO !!! I’M FAR FROM USA BUT I’LL BE ALWAYS WITH YOU FOR SAVE AMERICA’S WOLVES! ALWAYS ! GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL WOLVES ON THIS SO BAD AND STUPID WORLD !!!
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Thank you Agnes, I love hearing from you. I know you echo my sentiments and I can always can count on you.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Solidarity to all !
A couple places to start re-directing the big picture. The first paragraph is about national politics and how money is flowing right now. The second is a state level suggestion. The third is a question to the animal/wolf advocates.
Constitutional Repeal
Deep in the political undoing of the wolf and all living species, homo sapien included, is the Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations to
have ‘personhood’ in 2011. A staggering plethora of anti-environmental legislation resulted as the Citizens United ruling enabled corporations, especially oil, mining, gun manufacturers, and timber, to legally contribute to RMEF, NRA, ALEC, SCI and other ‘non-profits’ to push their specific, private monetary agenda. The Sagebrush Rebellion is a pseudo-grass roots movement to open up wilderness and roadless areas in addition to conserved federal holding so mining and oil
interests can plunder. I ask readers to read and consider signing this recent push for the repeal of Citizens United.
http://unitedrepublic.org/mccain-whitehouse/
While I m surprized that AZ’s McC is involved, since he’s clearly funded by a host of interests, it IS an election year so he may be attempting to side-step some of his deserved unpopularity for introducing a host of repressive internet, immigration, and outright bizarre laws. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Ron Paul (R-TX) also have tried to push repeal legislation.
State Elections
sourcewatch.org (also: alecexposed.org) has a list of corporate lapdogs, who are on the take from the American Legislative Elective Council. The anti-wolf laws and support to de-reg and over hunt came from ALEC members. Make sure they are exposed and not re-elected.
Re submit Petitions, but send them to the UN
Petitions are clearly falling on deaf ears, and seems clear that the feds are very corrupt. Corporate officers are in the USDA, DOI, and other divisions. I suggest sending petitions to councils that are concerned with world diversity and animal accords at the UN. The petitions would be aimed at asking the UN to review in the Security Council. I think this would be an embarrassment if nothing else. I am still investigating the specifics on this as to what council or what UN committee is appropriate. Any suggestions? I realize this seems almost ludicrous but our government is so far from being ‘representational’, that just calling out the bs at the UN may at least call-out the double speak.
Suggestions welcome.
I continue to boycott beef and sheep products. I continue to dream for a shift in consciousness about animal treatment, peace for the world, children, as well as, all humankind. It seems every innocent being is under threat. We are in a dark time of history.
I’ve given up the idea of being ‘happy’, but I continue to
seek the conditions that cause it naturally.
Thank you for this site, N.
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RE: Dana’s post:
Thanks and I would like to add:
D”I believe both the NRA and the oil and gas industry have vested interests in cleansing the interior northwest of wildlife. Note that the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act contains provisions for increased road building and “mineral resource recovery” (read, hydraulic fracturing) as well as lead bullet shooting, in all National Parks and Wildlife Areas! ”
Yes – you can find their agenda under the resolutions tab: NCBA and NRA are committed to opening up federal lands.
D”(The fur industry has long since banned the sale or purchase of wolf pelts so they have no practical value.) ”
EBAY is still allowing pelt sales. If you are a member of EBAY you can click on a certain box at the auction site for an investigation that the item is illegal. EBAY has a clear policy on pelts, but I saw several wolf pelts and other small predator pelts for sale recently. This should be stopped.
Also, Canada’s Harper’s government purchased 3 million $ of seal pelts from this year’s seal bludgeon (see Defender’s of Wildlife and HSI sites.) I am wondering if they are purchasing the wolf pelts, as there are hunting clubs offering bounties 50 – 125$ in WY, MT, ID. I saw some postings; when I called the club they denied the website info.
The Canadian govt is pushing the poisoning of 6K wolves due to the loss of habitat from the mining of the tar sands. That is why some petitions need to go to the UN. So the madness is in CA also.
ANTI TRAPPING
D:”The wolf wars are a headliner because their drama appeals to the small brains of the cowboys/hunters, who seem to enjoy the fifteen minutes of fame they get by infuriating conservationists.”
If trapping is illegal in almost 90 nations, we can learn from those movements. I am haunted by images of caught bobcats being clubbed with a pipe and other trapping images, including the black wolf.
I would like to suggest a campaign to eliminate trapping. Instead of targeting the individuals who are doing it, use the images, yes… but
use captions like “This is illegal in 88 nations. Why is it legal in the US?”
Then list the nations in smaller font”. That is only an example. My point is that if a uneducated, insecure person
is labeled negatively, they will only dig their heels deeper and send death threats (for instance). So the dig, the question should not address them specifically, but to eliminate the BEHAVIOR.
Thanks for following if you could. It’s late here and I’ve done my best.
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You’re not alone–I wrote this blog post in answer to your “Putting out Brushfires”: http://exposingthebiggame.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/not-alone-on-this-rock/
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I really want to take the time and read your book.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Thanks, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. The book includes two chapters on wolves and one on trapping (as well a couple dozen wolf photos).
Jim
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All of you need to,if you are planning a trip, travel to a state that either has no wolves or does not hunt them such as Michigan. Michigan’s politics are a mess, but they know the value of wolves and tourism. If you go to Michigan or Illinois, or whatever, call the state tourism departments and tell them why you visited those states. If you were planning a camping trip to Montana, call the tourism office and tell them why you cancelled your plans. I’m headed East where my kids are and will call the Pa. Dept of Tourism and lay on the compliments. I wanted to visit Little Bighorn {?} and I e-mailed Montana Tourism and said why I was not coming. It may be futile out there but it’s worth letting them know how angry you are. Don’t come to Wisconsin unless Walker loses. Nabeki, I watched Radioactive Wolves. It was heart warming to watch untouchable wolves.
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What’s going to change for the wolves if Walker loses? Although the odds that he is recalled are not very high right now.
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There’s some talk that Kathleen Falk will run the DNR. She is an environmental lawyer. This country is a mess. I’ve never seen it in such a state of chaos{sp}? since Viet Nam. Have you?
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Bobette…It’s Obama, he’s divided the country on so many levels. Wolves decimated, wild horses, decimated, Yellowstone bison continue to be hazed, the countries economy in the tank, racial division, I could go on and on. He’s worse than Bush and that’s saying a lot. Huge, huge disappointment. I agree the country is in chaos.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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No question – NRA, Tea party, livestock groups, govt. emloyees (dfg, etc.) are all in this together even though they “might” not all just want to kill Wolves – the Wolf is a convenient scapegoat to keep hate directed so their other agenda is met- sort of like the nazi’s . It is very frustrating not to be able to do something – physical – I want to rescue these animals by getting rid of the killers, but how? the politicans are non-caring and the media is a disaster – I have tried CNN numerous times along w/ SF Chronicle (and, they are somewhat supportative in their articles – at least not banished to back page w/ picture of snarlling Wolf killing little red riding hood!) I do not know what is wrong with people when you look @the video on what is being done to the Tennessee walking horses and the public is STILL going to the shows AND the guy responsible has not been strung up by his feet I do not understand it – horses do not even move all of these stupid people so why would they care about Wolves? I don’t get any of it – WHY would these bozos want to kil a Wolf or a Coyote or a Mtn. Lion or a Bear – why not each other? that would at least benefit society Where is the ALF? Where is Ted Turner? Dave Letterman? – he seemed to care about the Wolves until someone obviously got to him – he has stopped w/ any mention on his show – of course, I do not know if he actually cared or if maybe some kid working for him requested he comment, but he used to make jokes about Palin and aerial killing, but done in such a way I thought he was against it – but that stopped. He had the gov. from Montana on his show a couple of weeks ago and from the back and forth they have seen each other socially in Montana – why doesn’t he do somethin g? Between he and Ted they could almost buy the state – than roundup all the killers and move them and their cows and other crap – maybe to Nebraska, or Mississippi or one of those places. I have written Boxer and Feinstein several times and they have never directlyl responded to my question about why they voted for the dellisting on budget bill – Boxer really surprises me. The HSUS is not involved either although I know they really have their hands full.
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I have to add another comment – I do not know how you do it, but I am very grateful you are there and have done the amount of research to support this horror – maybe some day someone will listen and act. It bothers me to no end what is done to the Wolves and animals in general and I don’t know how you and others (ie HSUS) look and read such horrible things and put them in writing and photographs so we are informed. I just do not understand the very dark side of people and how they can inflick such abuse and pain on a helpless being.
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Read 2 posts upline and …
1 Went to the website(s). The usual beautiful creatures with trapped paws and that look in their eye of doom. Plus the usual bigwhanger “trophy” shots. How about send a fax to :
Midnight Sun Safaris
Master Guide Coke W. Wallace
P.O. BOX 435
HEALY, ALASKA 99743 USA
Phone: 907.683.4868
Fax: 907.683.1201
Ask him to please stop brutalizing animals. Be polite. Do not blame, a sociopath will not respond to blame. Someone has to be the adult.
?? The local police/troopers are probably in the good ol’boy set so why bother. Just ask him to please stop.
2 Mainstream media in the US is owned by 5 corporations. That’s why it is worthless. Try Democracy Now, Sacramento Bee, perhaps NYTimes (50-50), rt.com.
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Great info Zeb. There’s almost a total blackout on the wolf massacre. The MSM is so afraid to make Obama look bad, they’ve just chosen to ignore it…goes to show we don’t have a free press, it’s heavily censured and if it wasn’t for the Web we wouldn’t have any idea what’s going on.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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FYI this infographic explains who owns the mainstream media in the us and why msm will do nothing about the wolf issue/endangered species travesty:
http://frugaldad.com/2011/11/22/media-consolidation-infographic/
keep on everyone, look under every rock.
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For the new day ; for Father’s Day
(Based on a ‘legacy letter’ written by President Obama to his daughters)
May 23, 2012
By Alpha Male-elect, Lobo
Dear wolf pack,
I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the trail, going out to play and to hunting school and rubbish dumps, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about the new pups, it doesn’t make up for all the time we may now be apart. I know how much I will miss these next few years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our pack on this journey.
When I was a young wolf, I thought life was all about me – about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those howls that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realised that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfilment in yours. In the end, pups, that’s why I ran for Alpha Male: because of what I want for you and for every cub in this nation.
I want all our wolf cubs to go to territory’s worthy of their potential – territory’s that challenge them, inspire them, and instil in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to form wolf colonies – even if their parents aren’t alive. And I want them to get good hunting areas; hunting areas that feed well and give them benefits like health, hunting areas that let them spend time with their own kind and grow old with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you’ll live to see new forests and hunting grounds that improve our lives and make our territories permanent and safe. And I want us to push our own wolf boundaries to reach beyond the divides of human creeds and religions, greed and beliefs that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young wolves into dangerous situations to protect our territory – but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our pack safe. And I want every cub to understand that the blessings these brave wolves fight for are not free – that with the great privilege of being a free spirit of this world comes with great responsibility.
That was the lesson your ancestors tried to teach me when I was your age, passing on to me the wisdom of the Wolf Creed and telling me about the wolves who lived and died for equanimity because they believed those deeds done for thousands of years should mean something.
They helped me to understand that this land is great not because it is perfect but because it is perfect for all of us – and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to us. It’s a charge we pass on to our cubs, coming closer with each new generation to what we know this land, America, as the two-legged animal says, should be.
I hope you will take up that challenge, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you’ve had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this land that has given our family so much – although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you connect with something larger than yourself that you will realise your true potential.
These are the things I want for you – to grow up in a land with no limit on your creed and nothing beyond the reach of your dispersal, and to grow into compassionate, committed wolves who will help to build this world. And I want every wolf to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you wolves have had. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of you both. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace and humour as we prepare to start our new life together in the Wild Lands.
Love, Dad.
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kaufmans123,
Very clever and inventive letter. If only…..
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Interesting thing is, I hardly had to change anything, just put wolf associated words here and there. I guess maybe it highlights how little the difference between the two species; the wolfs desires, such as they are, are little different from ours, at least, those of us who qualify for being human.
Keep strong.
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