http://www.sierratimes.com/03/10/27/tedlang.htm

Bad News Bears: Back Door Gun Control
By Ted Lang ? 2003
All the news that liberal misfits print in the New York Times did produce a positive search result for an inquiry regarding the recent passing of self-proclaimed bear expert, Timothy Treadwell. As may be recalled, Treadwell, a so-called expert on life in the wilds among big, fuzzy, friendly bears, was touted as an authority on the late night TV entertainment circuit. Clearly, Treadwell was a media darling due to his preference for the rights and privileges of wild bears over the civil rights of humans.

In their unrelenting quest to undo every modicum of justice, fairness and common sense in order to achieve a workers? paradise of Marxist utopia, liberals continue to advocate any agenda or program that will face down the individual in order to advance the rights of atheists, homosexuals, animal and environmental rights activists over the rights of all others. A workers? paradise is always the ultimate objective.

It was, therefore, surprising to find even a lukewarm account of the tragedy in the New York Times, albeit it was relegated to a small article on page 28 of the Thursday, October 9th issue:

A self-taught bear expert was one of two people fatally mauled by bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve. The bodies of the expert, Timothy Treadwell, and Amie Huguenard, both of Malibu, Calif., were found on Monday at their campsite when a pilot arrived to take them to Kodiak, state troopers said. Mr. Treadwell, a co-author of ”Among Grizzlies: Living with Wild Bears in Alaska,” had spent 12 summers videotaping bears. On Wednesday, troopers said they found a tape at the scene that contained the sound of the attack, in which Ms. Huguenard told Mr. Treadwell to play dead, then to fight back.

The Times presented the account in a conservative, brief, unemotional manner buried on page 28. A search of their sister liberal propaganda outlet across the Hudson in New Jersey, the Newark Star-Ledger, failed to produce any search results. That is not to say they didn?t report the incident; just that I couldn?t find it. But if they did publicize the tragedy, it would be surprising if they didn?t present it in any prominent manner beyond that of citing a rush hour traffic delay.

After an opinion piece I published in Gannett?s Morris County?s Daily Record entitled ?Human right?s come before those of bears,? the newspaper?s Opinion Editor, Fred Snowflak, wrote a July 10th op-ed piece supporting the New Jersey Bear Hunt scheduled for December. As Snowflak put it, ?Regretfully, the state has no choice but to experiment with a black bear hunt this December.?

Snowflak?s editorial continues, ?When you consider the hard facts in addition to human failings, there is no other logical thing to do. The number of bears in New Jersey is growing and growing.? He cites the increasing number of bears in backyards and in people?s garages. People are increasingly calling for the police to respond to break-ins, near attacks and assaults, and property damage by black bears.

Both reluctantly, and apologetically, I quote from my closing paragraph in the paper: Undoubtedly, all true Americans cherish and value wildlife. But when trained government professionals recommend a course of action contrary to emotionalized ?warm fuzzies,? we should have the basic human instinct and common sense to listen. How will those [anti-hunt] protesters feel, those who have postured themselves emotionally in opposition to the public safety, should an innocent child be mauled to death by one of these ?innocent? creatures?

Shortly after these articles, the State of New Jersey authorized a bear hunt for December. Almost immediately, an animal rights organization attacked the hunt as set up only for the purposes of allowing hunters ?the right to hunt? in order to cut of the heads of bears for trophies. They took out a full-page advertisement in the approving Newark-Star Ledger. Yet, that paper never allows pro-gun opinion or advertisements.

Ted Lang is a political analyst and a freelance writer.