Optics

Having their cake and eating it
Apparently is the way
Of having their feet in both camps
Which clearly seems to pay
The Hunter
And the Camera Man
The killer
And those who
Conserve the natural wildlife
Or keep it in the zoo
Some are going all out
To support the trophy boys
The canned hunts the assorted stunts
Bringing them their joys
Other branches see the alternative
Why kill when you can
Take their picture
Preserve their lives
Oh! conservation man

The trophy of a lifetime
Or the one that got away
Enticing animal psychopaths
Into the dark foray
Safari’s if you see them
You can bag them thats the call
Or the lens to enhance their beauty
Thoughts are at the school

Of who cares lets make money
Out of hunting with the gun
With crystal optics aiding
For extra sporty fun
These corporates are abusing
Their market share for they
Promote the killing of wild souls
Which in my heart is not the way

Its really evil marketing
The sights are purely on
The balance sheet the market share
They put the con in con
But its not conservation
Its consequential loss
Its killing if they are willing
To be the great big boss

Out there in the wilderness
The rifles are the thing
Equipped with scopes
To increase the hopes
And to the table bring
Sport hunting accessories
They are the best by far
And some even sponsor hunting shows
So clearly now they are

Ready to be taking on the animal rights
Brigade
Some and engaging women
In the marketing parade
Even children thats the lust
Of money over ethic
Personally i would say to them
Your strategy is pathetic

Thanks to ethical consumer
Who have made the point today
They tell us what is happening
And why its not okay
To have your feet in both camps
It proves your way ahead
Is capturing a shot of them
And then shooting them dead

The antipathy is obvious
No triple bottom line
Intrinsically unfriendly
Indifferent by design
Life just doesn’t matter
With a platter wild and hot
What is to me vulgarity
To see a wild soul shot

If this be the market
Then go for it but you
Also go for conservation
For photography and do
You really care one iota
For the Cecil’s of this world
For the poaching and encroaching
When the Rhino horn is hurled

This marketing of products
With ones heart just filed away
Its undignified and mannerless
Who cares who wants to pay
Well I care and we all should care
Who we sell to, and we
Ought to have an ethic
And trade responsibly

Article in Ethical Consumer March/April EC159
Written by Anna Clayton

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