Montgomery Gentry's hit "Gone" should mention the loss of respect Troy Genry's "hunting" has garnered.

            Steve Irwin’s death shocked and saddened millions of animal lovers world wide.  While a few critics have accused Irwin of exploiting the wildlife he worked with, the vast majority of Irwin’s viewers and acquaintances believe that he did great good in defending even the most fearsome of nature’s creatures, while educating those who would react with fear or hatred of those species.

            In contrast to Irwin, there are people like country singer Troy Gentry.  Gentry is accused of having killed a tame, captive bear with a bow and arrow.  In effect, the charges are that a man who had raised the bear from cub hood allowed Gentry to shoot the penned animal.

            Apparently, Gentry considered himself quite the sportsman; other stories talk about his trophy bucks—one has to wonder, now, how he came by those—and his song with singing partner Eddie Montgomery about doing his own thing made a stab at a valid point: those of us who eat meat are as responsible, in a way, as hunters are, for the death of animals.

            Still, there is an enormous and unacceptable difference between tracking down animals in the wild and shooting captive, virtually tame specimens.  Hunters who call themselves sportsmen must be appalled at the slaughter of a pet in a pen as an example of what they do.  Gone is the argument that animals have a fair chance, that they are aiding control of species population, even that they are following time-honored traditions that helped support and build a nation before meat came in sanitary, shrink-wrapped packages.

            While Gentry’s despicable act speaks of cowardice and ego, his explanation is equally as contemptible.  He claims, through a lawyer, that a “misunderstanding” led to the incident.  Who can misunderstand that killing an animal in a pen—an animal with a name raised from a baby to be a pet—is wrong?  Whether or not Gentry escapes legally, there is no moral escape.  Again, think of the aftermath of Gentry’s “misunderstanding” and Irwin’s absolute refusal to apologize for his infamous “baby” incident, on the grounds that he knew exactly what he was doing and the child was in no danger.  While one may disagree with Irwin, or condemn his actions, there is no doubt that Irwin stood up for his behavior and refused to back down.  He didn’t blame others, didn’t insist that he’d simply made some harmless “mistake.”  Gentry, on the other hand, has not addressed how he can call himself a sportsman when he killed Cubby.  Surely a good taxidermist would have been able to sell him a suitably ostentatious bear carcass that had least been killed by someone else—someone possibly who had employed his wit, tracking skills and wildlife knowledge to make the kill.

            Montgomery Gentry fans will undoubtedly still listen to the duo’s hits.  The incident will blow over, as will the outpouring of love for Gentry’s opposite, Steve Irwin.  All things go in time, truly they do.  But that old saw about earning respect is right—you have to earn respect, and you have to lose it.  Gentry can add another line to their song “Gone.”  Respect for him should be gone.