A California woman has become the target of international outrage after posting photos online of her teaching kids how to bow hunt.
Jen Cordaro, a passionate bowhunter in San Diego County, teaches archery under the name “Jen the Archer” and actively promotes the sport on her Facebook page. Recently, Cordaro became the target of intense backlash over photos of her instructing children on how to bowhunt.
Cordaro has received thousands of hateful emails and comments from animal rights activists, and a petition has even been started to stop her from teaching the sport. Cordaro claims she has received death threats, and an anonymous vegan activist even found out where she lived to leave a bag of rotting vegetables on her doorstep.
“Sure I’m scared, but I’m not so scared I won’t stand up for myself,” Cordaro said. “What should I do? Hide under my bed until it all blows over or stand proud for what I believe in?”
The recent petition, which was started by an online user named Dusti Lee, has garnered over 2,000 signatures.
“She brainwashes children into believing that murdering animals is a positive activity in the world and then helps them brag about their kills by turning to social media for the accolades of trophy pictures,” the petition reads. “She must be stopped. She is spreading hate and violence to our youth.”
Last week, Cordaro took to her Facebook page to address the recent backlash and the petition, and ask for public support amidst a firestorm of hate.
“Hey everyone, so as you know I’ve been getting some heat from anti-hunters and animal activists since last night,” Cordaro wrote. “There is a petition that is gaining popularity over the web. I didn’t post anything on this page last night hoping it would just fizzle out. But, I did post on my personal profile. There are many of you who are here and not on my profile so I’ve decided to make a public announcement for support here today.”
While there have been radical comments on both sides of the coin, others seem to have a pretty neutral perspective on the controversy.
“I’m not a hunter, or a vegetarian, or an activist, or a left wing radical or a right wing nutjob,” a commenter named Mike wrote, according to the IJ Review. “I am probably not unlike most people. I think hunting for fun is cruel, but I’m not against a good steak or the occasional chicken nugget. Having said all that, my big issue here is with the harassment of a person who is doing something completely legal. Just because someone doesn’t share your beliefs does not give you the right to terrorize them for theirs.”
What do you think of the controversy surrounding Cordaro and her bowhunting practice?
Sources: IJ Review, The San Diego Union-Tribune