We have to pursue co-existence and shared benefits rather than a crude utilitarianism that wilfully endorses cruelty.
When I read Ron Thomson’s response to my article questioning the wisdom of reintroducing elephant trophy hunting to Botswana after a five-year moratorium, I was reminded of British abolotionist William Wilberforce’s opponents who defended the Atlantic slave trade on the grounds that it was a “necessary evil”.
John Pollock, who penned the epic Wilberforce biography, wrote:
“A Grosvenor uncle of Wilberforce’s young friend Lord Belgrave spoke third, arguing that the Trade was nasty but necessary; in Dolben’s summary: ‘…The wisest thing we can do is to shut our eyes, stop our ears and run away from the horrid sounds without enquiring about it, or words to this effect’.”
I invite Thomson to read the biography, as he might find echoes of this defence of slavery…
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Exposing the Big Game 