That said, I believe all the hullabaloo about the recent footage of Palin's moose hunt on her show demonstrates just how little the average urban American understands about hunting. Particularly, writer Aaron Sorkin's rant, In Her Defense, I'm Sure the Moose Had It Coming.
It's one thing for PETA or vegetarians to bemoan Palin's hunt, but Sorkin is a meat eater! He argues that even though he freely consumes and enjoys meat and uses leather to cloak his chairs or appear fashionable, hunting - and particularly Sarah Palin's latest hunting excursion - is for "faux macho shitheads."
Sorkin is probably perfectly content to peruse the aisles of his choice, upscale supermarket and purchase pre-butchered meat wrapped in lovely styrofoam and plastic containers, shirking the unpleasant thought that his steak used to be an animal. This is the convenient path.
If Sorkin dwelled in a pre-grocery store era - where he would have to hunt, gut and process his meat if he wanted to consume it - he might opt for the vegetarian path after all. Conversely, if he took a tour of one of the factory farms supplying his and most American's meat, he might vomit.
It's true that there may be some "faux macho shitheads" in the world of hunting (some of whom may be pictured at right), but there are also equally as many in other sectors such as the film industry, which Sorkin illustrates well.
Hunting has gotten a bad rap in many parts of our country - particularly in urban areas. It is important to remember that at the human roots of meat-eating, lies hunting. It is a primordial activity and it is not despicable or criminal, as many who know nothing about hunting might claim. The fact that so many people feel the need to attack this activity demonstrates just how wide a disconnect there is between citizens of the Western world and their food sources.
Call out Palin for her politics, her banal TV show or her vexing voice, but leave her hunting ways alone.
