A Downside of the United States
As I was reading news headlines this morning on the Apple News page, the following article caught my eye.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-most-dangerous-job-the-murder-of-america-s-first-bird-warden?utm_source=pocket-newtab
The Most Dangerous Job: The Murder of America’s First Bird Warden
When I think of birding and bird photography, I do not usually think of murder. However, that was exactly what happened to Guy Bradley in 1905. Bradley was one of the first people to be paid to protect birds. It was during this time period that bird feathers were worth a lot of money. For that reason, people would kill birds to get those feathers. According to the article, as many as five million birds were killed each year during this time period.
Although the Audubon Society was formed in 1886, it was not until 1901 that legislation was passed to protect the birds. Walter Smith was not much of a fan of this legislation. When Bradley approached him and talked about arresting Smith's son for killing birds, Smith said, "If you want him, you have to come aboard this boat and take him." Shortly thereafter, Smith shot Bradley.
Smith had the financial resources and the connections to convince the jury that he acted in self-defense. In addition, the prosecution did a poor job of presenting their case. The result? All charges were dismissed.
Due to the risks involved and the lack of back-up for the bird wardens, the Audubon Society never replaced Bradley.
GUN-RELATED DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES
The following is from this web site, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
In 2021, 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States.
The following comes from this web site: https://www.businessinsider.com/gun-control-how-japan-has-almost-completely-eliminated-gun-deaths-2017-10
Japan rarely sees more than 10 gun-related deaths in one year! That is for a country of 128 million people!
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