Survival & Ethics, Medical & Otherwise

The burial of the victims of last week's hate crime in Buffalo continues. The thought that this is mental health awareness month, as well as interfaith recognition month and something akin to Asian American awareness month all encroaching on Memorial Day, is jarringly at odds with the murders. The United States of America no longer appears united. The repeal of Roe vs Wade now seems inevitable and the bypassing of medical criteria for childbirth in favor of a hodgepodge of state and local decrees is around the corner. On another note, our local neighborhood has been invaded by a variety of wild things from large predatory crows, to ground squirrels, gophers, wild rabbits, and most dangerous of all, coyotes.

Air rifles, air pistols, and other replica weapons used to suffice to keep these things at bay but apparently in part due to COVID-19 isolation, the critters are gaining ground. Recently after the attack on a city council member's family and concurrent with the mauling of a child in Huntington Beach, a trapping program was instituted. A large number of coyotes were trapped. The program was halted and the traps were removed on the objection filed by PETA. For those who wish to enjoy their pets, for those who are elderly and fear falling and being attacked, and for those who fear for their children, what is the governmental level responsible? On a cynical note, the rule of law drifting through governmental structures and varying in dictatorial force and intent failed to detect, deter, or structure (as yet) punishment for a human predator. What is the PET for visible minorities? Homo sapiens is just another species: while the dinosaurs couldn't see the end coming, we can.