What message does bear's display convey?

The photo titled “A Gentled Giant” in the recent Bonner County Daily Bee Sunday paper of a stuffed 9-foot brown bear killed in Alaska was shocking to me beyond its euphemistic headline.

What kind of morbid satisfaction does some big game hunter get for taking the life of such a magnificent creature? I grew up on venison and I am not against hunting for food, but this isn’t hunting.

I have watched Alaska brown bears thrive on salmon in the wild and also on television nature programs. These bears are deserving of respect and awe, not human slaughter just because they are giant and powerful creatures. Were the four young women pictured next to this “trophy” smiling because they were impressed with such a display of human dominance over nature? What message are we conveying to our youth with this photo? Guns rule, I guess.

It’s all sickening to me for another reason: Panhandle State Bank has put this taxidermy on public display. Why? The bank is not a natural history museum!

It was a poor public relations choice whoever’s idea this was.

As for this local citizen, I won’t be patronizing any of the businesses or community events in that building until this disgusting display is removed.

JANE FRITZ

Sandpoint