Even those who were watching online could smell it: The stench of people doing something they knew was wrong, sweating through an attempt to pretend they were right.
This was the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday, approving a statewide massacre of black bears despite a massive public outcry from audience members and others who took the time to contact the commission. Multiple public-opinion surveys show that four out of five Floridians don’t support another hunt; apparently, many remember the debacle of 2015, the last time the state organized a bear hunt that turned into a gruesome slaughter.
Hunt’s cruel rules
Members of the public are particularly disgusted by the plans for this year’s hunt, which will permit brutally unsportsmanlike tactics such as baiti