Trump's Sons Under Investigation for African Hunting Trip

[tabatha]

Source: ABC News

Donald Trump's sons are facing more scrutiny for their African hunting expedition that recently came to light.
The trip is currently the subject of an investigation led by conservationists in Zimbabwe.

Donald Trump Jr., who stars on " The Celebrity Apprentice" alongside his dad, and his brother Eric sparked outrage among animal lovers on Twitter earlier this month after photos surfaced of the two posing with animals they killed during a 2011 safari trip in Africa. Trump Jr. later defended their actions in part by tweeting, "I'm a hunter, for that I make no apologies."

Trump Jr. may be a hunter, but TMZ.com reports the independent Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force says the South African safari company the sons used was not registered in Zimbabwe.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/trumps-sons-under-investigation-african-hunting-trip-140336909--abc-news.html

[samsingh]

1. the trumps are disgusting

[Faygo Kid]

32. +1

Disgusting isn't a strong enough word for these pampered and privileged killers.

[samsingh]

36. you're right

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. That picture of the dead endangered leopard still haunts me.

I hope they throw the book at these asshats. Likely a fine no larger than they can dig out of all of their collective couch cushions though.

[samsingh]

37. me too

it makes me shudder and brings tears to my eyes. it may have had cubs.

[Ruby the Liberal]

39. Its been reposted below, with a warning on it.

Infuriates me every time I see it, but I look. I don't know why I do that to myself, but I do.

[1620rock]

3. ...and the picture of the son holding up the severed tail of the elephant he killed...

These vile people make my skin crawl.

[naaman fletcher]

6. I don't understand what is so bad about that?

I mean, I am against hunting all together, but how is that any worse than a deer hunter mounting a head? showing off a rack? How is it different than stuffing a duck?

It seems to me the primary issue is racism. American hunters mount heads.. that's cool. OH, but cut off and hold up a tail the way Africans do.. now that is just vile.

[TBF]

9. Nobody said it was worse than the other - they just described it as vile.

I would describe ALL hunting as vile.

[pipoman]

23. You must be a vegan, eh?

[RebelOne]

26. I agree, I hate hunting. n/t

[Mojorabbit]

10. You eat deer and duck. I don't he was hunting elephants for food. nt

[naaman fletcher]

11. the locals were eating the elephant

this is why racism is the underlying thing her. Had these guys gone and shot some deer with rednecks in Arkansas nobody would really care that much.

The issue here is that the African culture is seen as disgusting compared to ours, when really it is no different.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. You do get that what they were doing and where they were doing it

was illegal, right? It was them posting with their "prey" that caught the attention of the local authorities, who then decided to pursue charges. At least one of the "prey" was on the endangered list - the leopard they are all shits and grins posing with.

If the law doesn't get 'em, I'll put an extra pin in the Trump doll that karma does.

[naaman fletcher]

14. I didn't know about the leopard

and hope they get fried for it. However, I travel in africa frequently and am quite sensitive to our calling various sorts of things barbaric that are really know different from what we do.

[movonne]

15. People killing beautiful endangered animals for the fun of putting

their heads over a fireplace is barbaric....

[naaman fletcher]

18. I agree

But it happens all the time here.. but when the tail is held up "something certain Africans do" then it becomes a big deal. That is racism.

[RebelOne]

27. Even killing deer to put their heads over the fireplace is also barbaric.

Most hunters are only after trophies.

[pipoman]

49. Complete nonsense

Last edited Mon Mar 26, 2012, 09:01 PM - Edit history (1)

very, very few US hunters are "trophy hunters". By far the majority of hunters are weekend sportspeople who enjoy the outdoors, they enjoy the meat, and if they get a trophy animal so much the better, or they are culling necessarily. Most hunters are actually small game hunters...not a lot of pheasants, quail and rabbits being taxidermed I'm guessing. As for deer hunters, keeping in mind we are talking about the majority (I think the vast, vast majority), hunt for enjoyment not unlike fishing or to cull populations.

Culling populations is legitimate for the health of the populations. The enjoyment hunters fund most federal and state wildlife projects and state parks. Hunters are responsible for funding more projects for the protection of waterfowl and their habitat than any other source of funds. My state would not have wild turkeys if it weren't for the funding from sales of hunting licenses. The reintroduction of turkeys has resulted in dramatic expansion of bobcat populations, mountain lions for the first time in history have been documented here. Coyote populations have recovered from mange epidemic. All credited to the explosion of the wild turkey populations. Without hunting license sales my state would have a fraction of the public lands, parks, and wildlife we now enjoy.

What have you contributed to wildlife?

edit...btw, are you a vegan?

[Ruby the Liberal]

24. Sounds like you have a stronger stomach than I do

so incase you wanted to see the originals, here are the posted pics from these 2 asshats that caught the attention of the authorities

(Graphic for animal lovers) http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002417444

[erpowers]

44. Not Racism-Elephants Are Endangered

The people that are angry about the hunting are not angry because Africans eat elephant meat. It is very possible that few Africans eat elephants in that elephants are endangered. That is the real reason people are angry about the Trump sons participating in the hunt and showing off pictures. Some of the animals they hunted or either endangered or could be endangered. American deer are not endangered.

[naaman fletcher]

47. ok but,

when this first story broke I don't recall anybody being upset that the elephants were endangered. I recall them being upset that cutting off an elephant tail was barbaric (more so then our own hunting practices in the US).

[PavePusher]

53. They may be endangered, but in some national parks, their numbers have increased....

to the point that they are damaging the local ecosystem. They also have a tendency to wander outside the parks and destroy crops. When you are subsistance farming, the endangered status means bupkiss.

By selling permits for hunting to rich bastards, they accomplish needed culling, inject a lot of money into the local economies, provide meat to the local population and control poaching.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/elephant-cull-516117.html

http://www.andrews-elephants.com/elephant-culling.html

[xtraxritical]

51. All these wild animals are getting very rare

if not endangered. You gotta be a genuine dick to want to kill them and even dickier to think it's "sport".

[Mojorabbit]

66. The trumps were doing the hunting and I seriously doubt they were hunting for food. nt

[RebelOne]

64. You gotta be kidding. He was hunting elephants and anything

he could kill for trophies.

[Ikonoklast]

17. Deer are nowhere near becoming hunted to extinction.

Your analogy is invalid.

[naaman fletcher]

20. I didn't comment on the extinction

I commented on the holding up of a tail. That is what everyone was so worked up about. Holding up a tail is no different than the things done in our culture, except we don't do them so we act as though it is barbaric. That is racism.

[Ikonoklast]

30. For good reason. You refuse to put two and two together.

No Dead Elephant = No Douchebag Holding Elephant's Tail As Trophy.

For one to occur, the other must first happen.

But carry on with your attempt at equivocation and mis-direction.

[naaman fletcher]

31. What are you talking about?

You have made no sense whatsoever in your posts.

[Ikonoklast]

33. I'm sorry that I confused you.

It wasn't very difficult to do.

Re-read the posts.

You mistakenly focused on one issue, disregarding everything else.

NO ENDANGERED SPECIES SHOT. NO TROPHY TO HOLD UP.

Make the conection if you can.

[naaman fletcher]

40. I don't think the uproar about the elephant tail

was due to its being endangered, everything I read was about how barbaric cutting off a tail and holding it up was. As that is no worse than what american hunters do here, it is simply an issue of racism.

[Ikonoklast]

43. You went to racism right off the bat.

The guy holding up the tail is White.

Deflection.

[naaman fletcher]

46. How is that deflection?

Yes, I went to racism. Guy holds up a deer head and nobody cares. Guy holds up an elephant tail and its a big deal. It is racism. It is thinking our own culture is a-ok while the African culture is barbaric, when in fact the actions are the same.

[xtraxritical]

52. Please lift your tail and do your droppings somewhere else.

[naaman fletcher]

58. Wow, deep thoughts.

I see that you, too, are capable of rational debate.

[LanternWaste]

60. Deers not being on the endangered species...

"Guy holds up a deer head and nobody cares..."

Deers not being on the endangered species list as far as I'm aware. However, I do realize we will often attempt to deflect criticism of the indefensible onto a wholly separate theme in order to better validate our own biases.

[naaman fletcher]

61. except

I was specifically addressing the fact that when this story broke nobody was discussing elephants being endangered, they were discussing the barbarity of holding up the tail. That is what I am addressing here. Of course, most of you don't want to accept the fact that your thinking African culture is barbaric compared to our culture (when cutting off a tail, or mounting a deer head are the same thing) is in fact racism.

[olegramps]

19. There is a world of difference between hunting for food and hunting for just the sport of killing.

I have never heard of hunting elephants for food unless you are a lion.

[naaman fletcher]

21. Africans hunt lions for food.

Also, plenty of hunters in the US shoot ducks, deer, etc. and then give them away because they don't want them.

I am against all hunting, but the outrage over the severed elephants tail is simply racism and our looking down at African culture.

[Doremus]

29. I vehemently disagree.

I was sickened when I saw the elitist punk holding the elephant's tail like a trophy. I would have been just as appalled no matter WHO was holding it.

In fact, it never occurred to me that Africans -- or anybody -- who had killed an elephant strictly for food would have taken the time to cut through an inedible tail with a small knife. Why not expend that energy in harvesting the hundreds of pounds of edible flesh?

Unless there is some legitimate reason to chop off part of a bony tail in the African ritual of slaughter, I can only surmise that whosoever engages in such egregious behavior is slightly endowed in their nether regions and in great need of an ego boost.

I hope they rot in hell.

[PavePusher]

57. Various parts of animal kills are used for any number of reasons...

in tribal societies. Elephant tails were carried by royalty, used as fly-switches, made into shamens' totems, the hairs braided into jewelry....

But heck, I only lived there for three years, I probably don't know what I'm talking about.

http://www.sportsafield.com/content/elephant-tail-bracelet

Edit: More here: http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADRA_enUS432&q=elephant+tail+uses&rlz=1R2ADRA_enUS432&oq=elephant+tail+uses&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_l=hp.3...145203l146125l2l146406l5l4l0l0l0l0l282l875l0j2j2l4l0.frgbld.&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=ae91557033d2a865&biw=1280&bih=548

[Doremus]

63. ah, then that explains it then: The elitist punks needed a fly-switch in a pinch.

I would laugh at the absurdity if it weren't so heinous. The murder of a sentient being for ITS TAIL. The thought makes me want to retch ... and if the elitist punks happen to be within puke range all's the better.

And using the race card in a half-assed attempt to deflect criticism from the white elitists is equally nauseating.

[PavePusher]

65. Please note that I wasn't defending anyone, just making statements of fact. n/t

[hamsterjill]

4. Disgusting rich pricks!

As much as I would love to believe that they will really get into trouble, I doubt they will. But some scrutiny is still better than none.

[lumpy]

5. Trumps don't hunt, they just shoot.

They should be FIRED.

[YankeyMCC]

62. And I think you point right to the heart of it

to hunt is human what people like the Trumps and Dick Cheney do is shot for some concept of building up their egos.

[anti-alec]

7. Zimbabwe and the others in the AU

needs to flag all the Trumps' passport to be detained permanently until the heat death of the universe.

[Crowman1979]

8. TAX THE RICH!

[Tx4obama]

13. More detailed details of the investigation in the article on the link below

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002464425

[Ruby the Liberal]

25. Good addition. Thanks.

[Joseph8th]

16. I grew up in the country...

... no I mean the real country. Not the South or Midwest -- that's too crowded to be country. I'm talking BFE mountains of northern CO. The nearest stop SIGN was 30 miles away. The nearest stop LIGHT was > 60 miles.

So I heard this all the time from both Dudes and Shitkickers. "Ah'm a huhntur." If these people are hunters, drop them off in the jungle and let them find their way out, alive. They starve to death in CO, they're gonna starve to death in Zimbabwe, too.

Give someone a camera, an edible plant book, and a fly rod, and they'll outlive any one of these wannabe Danny Boone's (and have a photo-essay to sell to Nat'l Geo.)

[naaman fletcher]

22. Zimbabwe says Trump sons' hunt legal

HARARE — Zimbabwe's parks authority on Monday said US property magnate Donald Trump's sons were licensed to hunt game on a trip two years ago, after photos of their trophies sparked online outrage.

Trump's sons Donald Junior and Eric made a hunting expedition in Zimbabwe in 2010. Their pictures went viral on social media this month, showing them posing next to carcasses of a leopard, an elephant, a crocodile and an array of other animals.

The images drew condemnation on Facebook and Twitter, where their hunting trip was slammed as unethical. Donald Trump Jr has insisted on Twitter that he did nothing wrong.

"They were accompanied by a professional hunter, and we have done a background check on him and his licence is still valid," Caroline Washaya-Moyo, spokeswoman for the parks authority said in a statement.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i689COUmRUW9qfg1Ip8yGYWc_NZw?docId=CNG.c7338b90fb166bf1cf478be01c69895b.131

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

28. If Zimbabwe says it was a legal hunt

and the Trump kids made off with the trophy bits,
and the locals made off with the edible bits,
and the government and hunting guides got their money,
then there doesn't seem to be a problem.

Just a couple uber-rich kids doing what uber-rich kids do.

If some of the money helps Zimbabwe with wildlife conservation, so much the better. I don't know how these things work under Mugabe's government structure.

[PavePusher]

55. You could always look it up.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=Zimbabwe+hunting+safari&rlz=1R2ADRA_enUS432&oq=Zimbabwe+hunting+safari&aq=f&aqi=g1g-b1&aql=&gs_l=hp.3..0j0i8.2500l2500l1l3532l1l1l0l0l0l0l203l203l2-1l1l0.frgbld.&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=50e282a3ca3de6ae&biw=1280&bih=548

[Botany]

34. No Good little shits (warning picture of two assholes and dead big cat)

Maybe an elephant or a cobra could grant them some karmic justice.

Why kill a highly endangered "big cat" like a jaguar? You get some poor local man
who knows a tree that a jaguar uses and he tells these little turd buckets where it
is and they pay him $100 and whack the animal @ 300 + meters w/ a rifle and a
scope.

I hunt too but I can think of no reason to kill a big cat unless it had turned into a
man killer.

[Ruby the Liberal]

35. Put a graphic warning on that, please. (Edit - thanks for the edit)

That photo just tears me up.

[Hoyt]

38. That is sickening. (Glad you showed those worthless bastards though.)

[PavePusher]

56. Jaguar? Oh dear ghu, no.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

Please at least make your self-righteous moral outrage accurate. If they were in Africa, it was a leopard, clearly indicated by the lack of central spots in the rosettes of its fur. Jaguars are in Central/South America. Neither are "highly endangered", though their populations do need to be sustained. In Africa, limited hunting of them is quite legal with the correct permits, varying by country.

[Botany]

59. Leopard ... sorry

Big cat populations all over the world are crashing and the leopard has
lost about 85% of it former range

[sulphurdunn]

41. A "trophy" hunter

wouldn't make a pimple on a real hunter's ass and is about as low a life form as a pedophile.

[Hoyt]

50. After seeing the photo of those asses with the big cat, I have to agree. Hope daddy is proud.

[Liberalynn]

42. Disgusting beyond measure

selfish egotistical cretins just like their father.

[beac]

45. Sick, twisted jerks.

I hope they throw the book at them.

[Kurska]

48. Oh good you killed a beatiful animal from 300 yards away with a high powered rifle.

Let me clap for you you spoiled rich egotistical fucks.

Of course Zimbabwe isn't going to do anything about it legal or not, money=power especially in that part of the world.

[PavePusher]

54. Actually, most African big-game hunting is done at ranges of less than 100 yards.

Due to a variety of factors, it is a dangerous business.

And, as it turns out, it was done entirely legally.