Cony Genocide?

For those of you who live in Kelowna, I'm sure you are well aware of this (apparently) life altering situation, in which threats are being made to authorities over the resolution.... It is a situation that so dearly struck chords and pulled the hearts of the public that any sort of related news continues to make the front page, and every development of the story keeps the people of Kelowna riveted to the news, constantly raising controversy due to, what some people see as, the sickest most brutal event that could ever be conceived...

I'm talking, of course, about rabbits.

Now for any readers unaware of the situation, it's quite simple. Kelowna's downtown area is full of Rabbits, and they run around everywhere, they eat plans, burrow in city lawns, and run around on the street. Cute, no? Nonetheless, they are considered a pest, and the City of Kelowna has decided to pay a particular business to cull the rabbits. This raised such an uproar from the public that more money was then spent to try to find particular humane ways to deal with them, such as relocations and such (with some people ridiculously suggested neutering the population so that they couldn't expand anymore... obviously not realizing the ridiculous cost and absurd difficulty of such an operation...) etc etc.

So thats the situation.... "why write about this Jon? What's struck a chord and/or irritated you enough you enough to bring this current event to our attention?". Well, dear reader, todays front page of the Daily Courier is why. Headline "Alert Security Guard halts attack on Rabbits". Now, the subject matter isn't what irritates me, stopping punk teens beating on animals is a good thing, no doubt about that. It's what is said by those interviewed.... and I believe it's the biggest problem with the whole culling controversy as well.

People keep referring to those things as "Bunnies". Thats it, and thats what gets me... you see, since this whole thing has come to attention, even facebook groups have started up "Save the Bunnies", not "save the rabbits" but "save the Bunnies". It's this immediate "cutesifying" (My word, feel free to use it) of these animals that all of a sudden makes it seem like a state sanctioned genocide to deal with their overpopulation problem. Whats worse, is that people have even begun to personify each "Bunny", giving everyone the impression that we are killing Peter Rabbit.... In the (entirely justifiable, don't get me wrong) article in todays paper, this was said...

"One of them threw [a spear like stick] and hit one of the bunnies. The Bunnies were all running - they didn't know which way to go"

... Now again, I don't want anyone to get the impression that I'm criticizing the article's subject matter.... But
"...they didn't know which way to go".... well of course..... I mean, someone was chasing them, so they ran, I'm sure we've all chased a wild animal before, be it a quail or a chipmunk.... and they run, out of instinct.... this quote shows the personification of these animals in the same sense as if we could interview the rabbit "Yes chuck.... I was so scared... I looked left and right, but they were all around me! My life flashed before my eyes, but boy am I glad that I'm safe"..

Now, I know this post makes it sound like I'm saying "Why do people care about the 'bunnies'" But I'm not, hurting animals malicously is obviously wrong, but what I notice in regards to these events is the term "bunny" makes them sympathetic creatures! I mean, we'll hire exterminators in a second to get rid of a rat infestation.... heck, we'll set mouse traps ourselves to kill off some mice... but when it comes to bunnies! oh no! not the Bunnies! Save the Bunnies... the Bunnies will be scared! The Bunnies deserve their homes....
Notice the sympathy you feel reading that? Bet you think I'm a jerk...

"Farmer Smith has finally saved his crops from this years infestation of Mice, Crows, Rabbits and Weasels"

"Farmer Jack has finally saved his crops from this years infestation of Mousies, Birds, Bunnies and other furry friends"

Wow....Farmer Jack is a cold hearted meanie... So does anyone see where I'm coming from?? This post wasn't very well structured, so I don't know if my point got across.... or if I have a bunch of angry readers thinking I condone rabbit beating.... bunny beating? But I just wanted to vent a little about my irritation with the personification and "Cutesifying" of the "scared bunnies"... just because of the term Bunny....
If there was a rat problem in Kelowna, and an exterminator came with poison gas to paralyze and kill all of them.... there still wouldn't be nearly as much commotion over it as there is now with the quick shooting (by high powered air rifles) of some of the "bunnies".
What's in a name?