Don’t valorize the brutal killing of wild animals — no matter what trophy hunters say | Opinion

No valor in trophy hunting

I respectfully disagree with Clarence Rushing’s recent op-ed about trophy hunting. Rushing argued trophy hunters put clean, renewable meat on their families’ tables and help achieve a balance in nature.

I applaud Rushing’s call for people to inquire about where their food comes from and about the cost of getting it to them. But I find trophy hunting objectionable for several reasons:

Hunting perpetuates a cruel imbalance in nature; hunting licenses and tags, as well as the non-hunting public’s tax dollars, contribute to brutal federal and state programs that kill countless wild animals every year.

Hunters have an outsized say in wildlife management; some studies have found that the non-hunting public pays the vast majority of funds used for wildlife conservation and management, and yet hunters are over-represented on wildlife commissions and similar bodies.

Hunting also inflicts suffering on animals; bow hunting exacerbates this suffering, leaving animals to slow, painful deaths.

I am heartened by Rushing’s celebration of the wilderness, but I am reluctant to valorize a cruel and extractive approach to nature.

John Saunders, Tacoma

Get real about plastics

Polymers and microplastics are so pervasive in society that they go unnoticed. The threat to public health is real, and we need to act.

We need to investigate this threat through the lens of public health. Stop allowing the plastic industry to study itself. Empower — and adequately fund — federal, state and county public health authorities to research this problem. We must invest as much effort into researching polymers as we do for infectious diseases, cancer or other illnesses.

Curb the plastic industry’s influence on our economy. Scrutinize the production and bulk sale of single-use plastic bags. Instead of penalizing consumers with bag taxes, we should target the source of the problem — corporations.

In addition to regulation, we must encourage innovation. Building grants and incentives for innovative companies to create and ethically market plastic alternatives is crucial.

Local and state authorities should regulate labels, language and marketing for plastic products.

Consumers deserve clear and unbiased information about the contents of plastic products.

Let’s not go extinct over our addiction to plastic.

Kameron Jacobs, Tacoma

Unbelievable outcome

It blows my mind that the three Tacoma police officers who were tried in the death of Manuel Ellis were rewarded $500,000 each by the city after an investigation by the Tacoma Police Department largely cleared all three of wrongdoing.

One of the officers was found to have violated a policy — on courtesy — during the deadly encounter.

The only wrongdoing identified by TPD’s investigation was for using profanity.

John Selby, Gig Harbor

Promoting distrust in the system

Statements by Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, Police Chief Avery Moore and several City Council members since the verdict in the trial of three officers cleared in the death of Manny Ellis trial are damaging to our city. They promote distrust of the criminal justice system.

The officers were subject to multiple investigations and a trial. No wrongdoing was found.

Trust is integral to the functioning of any society but has been in precipitous decline.

Donald Trump cast doubt on election integrity in 2020 because he did not win. This damaged our country.

Similarly, city leadership cast doubt on the trial, presumably because they disagreed with the verdict.

Real city leaders have put politics before the good of the community. It’s too bad Tacoma doesn’t have real leaders.

Kirsten Carlson, Tacoma

This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 5:00 AM.