It was announced on February 17th, 2020 that the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has partnered with The Light Foundation to hold a Youth Wild Turkey Hunt in Rhode Island on April 24th-25th, 2020. The Light Foundation describes this event as providing children with an experience to "reach their highest potential", which according to them can be achieved through the act of hunting, an act that centers around violence and dominance. 

At such a vulnerable age, teaching children compassion for living beings and respect for nature is of the utmost importance. Putting a gun in a child's hands and telling them it's okay to senselessly take a life is not the kind of message we want to send to our next generation of children. 

Hunting is a "sport" that echoes the power-hungry bloodlust of the dominator mindset. The strong preys on the weak, the lame, the unable. These are not values we want to place in the minds of our youth. We need to instill values of empathy, love, and respect. 

Hunting creates the ideal condition for overpopulation. After hunting season, the abrupt drops in population leads to less competition among survivors, resulting in a higher birth rate. There are far more ethical ways to control animal populations such as birth control strategies and public education. 

A text titled "Wildlife Ecology and Management" by William Robinson states quite clearly: "The general theory of harvesting animals is based on the premise that when animals are not harvested at all, growth and recruitment are balanced by natural mortality and that the average growth rate of a population at its carrying capacity is zero. Harvesting reduces the population size, but the reduction results in an increase in the growth rate of the population. This increase in growth rate is brought about because of higher birth rates and lower death rates resulting from decreased competition for resources."

Turkeys are intelligent and sensitive animals that are highly social. They create lasting bonds with each other and are very affectionate. If a child was to see one of these loving creatures in any other context aside from the intent to hunt, they would want pet it, not maim it. 

There are plenty of other outdoor activities that children can partake in that can increase self-esteem, and can lead children down a healthy path in life. 

This event is not only cruel to the turkeys, but cruel to the children. Children only become bloodthirsty when conditioned by irresponsible adults. Let's break this violent cycle by asking Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and The Light Foundation to call off this barbaric event.