Don't You See? If Only You Are Tolerant and Understanding and If You Will Create a Bond with Them, Then…

Grizzly People founder Timothy Treadwell had Disney-fied the object of his affection. So, as [Werner] Herzog chronicles, the 46-year-old bear activist and his 37-year-old girlfriend were mauled and eaten by an Alaskan grizzly in October 2003

writes Debra Saunders.

While some think Treadwell had a death wish, he claimed that he would not be hurt, because he had a special understanding of grizzlies and he respected them. His fate illustrates the dark side of the modern romanticization of the wild.

Fact is, Treadwell didn't understand grizzlies and he didn't respect them. As an Alaskan pilot told Herzog, Treadwell seemed to view grizzlies as if they were "people wearing bear costumes."

…Treadwell liked to style himself as an animal lover, but I think he was more smitten with himself than with the bears.

Why is it that while reading this article, I kept thinking of Europe's humanists and pacifists (of today and yesterday), walking through the capitals of their countries, lauding the Iraqi "resistance", the anti-globalization movement's "answer" to capitalism, the Soviet Union, and other "legendary" opponents of the American superpower? Not to mention the same actions and policies being taken by governments who would be members of the so-called peace camp, of today as well as yesterday… All of the above overflowing with expressions such as tolerance and understanding and lucidité and avant-garde and "prise de conscience" and "can't we all work together?"…