On Wednesday, November 15, the Trump administration reversed “an Obama-era ban on hunters importing trophies of elephants killed in Zambia and Zimbabwe during government-approved big-game expeditions.  (USA Today, 11/16/2017)”  A spokesperson for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service justified the action as follows.

Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation.

Chalk this one up to the same mentality that thinks massive tax breaks for the already wealthy addresses the issue of income inequality.  In August, 2016, the World Conservation Congress reported a 30 percent decline in the African elephant population over ten years with an annual average loss of eight percent.  In Trump New Speak, the best way to preserve an endangered species is to encourage killing them for sport and bragging rights.

As long as Trump has made it open season on elephants I suggest we follow the old adage, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”  Except the endangered species I suggest we pursue are not African elephants, but American ones (you know, Republicans).  In fact, I would suggest some Democrats jumped the gun (no pun intended) on November 7 by thinning the herd and adding a few rogues to their trophy cases.

• Democrat Danica Roem becomes the first transgender woman to be elected to a state legislature by defeating self-proclaimed “chief-homophobe” Bob Marshall (R).
• Democrat Chris Hurst, an news anchor whose finance was gunned down on live television, defeated Republican Joseph Yost and his A+ NRA rating.
• Wilmot Collins, a refugee of the Liberian civil war, defeated James Smith, a 16-year incumbent, to become the new mayor of Helena, Montana.

Keep in mind, these victories were not in swing districts.  These contests took place in (dare I say) Republican “sanctuaries.”  So just as the rules have changed for pursuing African elephants in supposedly safe havens, so have they been reversed for the American pachyderm.  Having been given the green light by Trump and his minions, it’s now legal to take down these lumbering, gray former titans who have had the run of the Washington, D.C. jungle.

Which brings me to another unique American species which has evolved since first appearing on the political landscape in the early 1990s:  RINOs.  The term, short for “Republican in Name Only,” became a pejorative description of Congressional members of the GOP considered to be insufficiently conservative.   You know, individuals who believed in things like choice, civil rights and protecting the environment.  Signs like the one to the right began appearing during Republican primaries and at Tea Party rallies.

There’s just one problem.  The original RINOs were the true guardians of the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.  They believed:

• As did Lincoln, every American deserved the same rights and privileges.
• As did Roosevelt, supported protection of national treasures such as wilderness areas and natural monuments.
• As did Eisenhower, Nixon and both Bushes, believed America was stronger when it was an active player on the international stage, politically and economically.
• And as did Reagan, believed Russia ran counter to American values and interests and should be viewed as a partner in international affairs only with a sufficient dose of skepticism.

When you look at the 157 year history of the GOP, those who now call themselves Republicans are nothing but a mutant, viral strain of RINO.  In what can only be called reverse Darwinism, the party of Trump and Bannon represents “the survival of the unfittest.”  They do not respect the institutions — a system of checks and balances,  the courts and a free press — which are the bedrock of a democratic society.  Because they support policies which an overwhelming majority of citizens reject, they make it as difficult as possible for people to vote against them.  They talk about American strength and exceptionalism, but are afraid to play in an international arena where their world view might be challenged.  They tout American innovation, but degrade the very foundation of our success: leadership in science and research.  And finally, they cloak themselves in the trappings of moral superiority but enable con men, racists, anti-Semites, xenophobes and sexual perverts.

I am generally opposed to actions which contribute to the extinction of any species.  But the sooner we rid the nation of these RINOs, we increase the likelihood we can eventually return to an era of different perspectives about what is good for America and healthy debate about which views should prevail. Only then can we again journey down that often bumpy and non-linerar path toward realizing a more perfect union.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP