HSUS Exploits Vegas Tragedy to Push Unconnected Lobbying Agenda

The mass murder in Las Vegas has shocked the country. As investigators still try to figure out a motive, some public figures have questioned whether new gun control laws are justified or not. To some, asking these questions so soon after the tragedy is inappropriate; to others it is timely. It’s a delicate balance to take into account people’s feelings.

And then you have Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States, who didn’t wait 24 hours following the tragedy before ham-handedly exploiting people’s emotions to try to sink a hunting bill in Congress.

The bill, called the SHARE Act, would expand hunting on federal lands, block federal bureaucrats from banning the use of common ammunition in hunting on federal lands, and relax rules for suppressors (which, unlike in Hollywood movies, only reduce noise by a few decibels; suppressed gunshots are still very loud).

Whether or not you like the bill, its provisions don’t have any relation to mass shootings. Yet Pacelle took to his blog and to CNN.com to breathlessly rant about the legislation and tie it to Vegas. “If you’re grieving about the mass murder in Las Vegas…” “As the smoke clears from Las Vegas…” And so on.

Merriam-Webster defines the word humane as “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals.” A humane leader would try to bring people together in this situation. By abusing a tragic situation before the burials have even taken place, Wayne Pacelle has shown he’s not fit for the word.