Many Americans enjoy the outdoors but have little knowledge of hunting and its role in conservation . Social media presents a platform to educate these folks with factual information about successful wildlife management via hunters .
“ out of step ” with public opinion is not a long-range plan for success .
Some might ask how to be thoughtful when faced with a toxic personal attack on social media . The natural response may be to fight fire with fire and push back with equal toxicity . While this can be satisfying , the opportunity to educate those watching is lost . It might be old-fashioned to say , “ take the high road ,” but for those in the crowd watching the fight , logic and reason will help steer them back to our side . And we must drive that logic and reason home , over and over if necessary . Knowledge is power . In the case of cancel culture advocates , knowledge is the one true antidote to their craven brand of toxicity .
The ways we can all be more thoughtful when out in public are many . You might develop a habit when communicating online or in person that every time you post or speak about hunting , you include an important fact about our community that average Americans do not know . For example , the amount of money hunters have contributed within your state and nationally to both conservation and the economy is a story that too few Americans know enough about . Information about our public treasures like national parks and national wildlife refuges that were started by Theodore Roosevelt , the hunting president , is another possibility . Or gather similar facts from your state about public lands and how critical sportsmen and -women are to fish and wildlife conservation . Get creative ; we can win this fight !
We have a powerful story to tell about our nation ’ s healthy and abundant wildlife populations . From sea to shining sea , the history of American conservation is a remarkable one that is the benchmark for the entire world . It is sportsmen and -women that have been , and will remain , the financial backbone of this success . Does your average American know this ? Not really . When the unknowing are pulled into a viral fight on social media after a young woman posts a photo with a trophy deer , how can we expect them to respond ?
Whitetail deer , Canada geese , wild turkeys and many other success stories are just waiting to be told from this perspective . If we agree — as hunters , trappers and anglers — to take every opportunity to tell these stories to every individual we come across , we start the next conversation in a much more positive place . Anyone trying to cancel us better pack a lunch because they will have a steep hill to climb .
The pictures you choose to share online can have a profound impact on public opinion and cancel culture toxicity . The strength of emotions over logic becomes even more pronounced with visual material . Visuals connect with the emotional part of our brain while text connects with the logical part . Therefore , images can powerfully move our opinion and generate emotional responses entirely devoid of logic or reason . This is even true when imagery depicts something known to be false . Many of the most extreme cases of cancel culture attacks are in response to photos posted online , but such campaigns can stretch beyond social media once started . If we take care and recognize that non-hunters will potentially view the photos we post , then we can proactively post photos which will have a positive impact instead of a negative one .
To be clear , I am not suggesting that any of us not stand proudly , even defiantly , in defense of our outdoor heritage . Being thoughtful does not require anyone to slink off into a dark corner . Quite to the contrary , I am arguing that all of us take full advantage of every opportunity to proudly tell our story . Being thoughtful simply requires a recognition that we should be telling our story with care while avoiding the toxicity showed by the cancel culture advocates . The great news is , this approach does not change how we live or whether we interact with others online ; it only requires us to take each interaction as a fantastic opportunity to protect and promote our community long-term .
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