NRA head Wayne LaPierre and his wife secretly turned elephants they shot in Botswana into home decor: report

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

• The LaPierres secretly shipped elephant parts from their Botswana hunt to avoid public outcry.
• Susan LaPierre requested the shipment have no clear links to the couple, The New Yorker reported.
• Taxidermy records showed the parts were turned into stools, an umbrella stand, and a trash can.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-nra-head-wife-secretly-turned-elephant-home-furniture-report-2021-7?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&utm_content=algorithm

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,343]

Makes me angry

[Ban Hammer 12,999]

many don't ask enough questions to really know what was going on............

 

might i suggest start with: 

was the hunt legal in the country it took place in?

were any USA laws broken?

how much did the Lepierre family pay for their hunting permits?

what was the money that was paid for the hunting permits used for in the country the hunt took place in?

how much money, not counting the hunting permits, was spent in the country in question by the Lepierre family?

what was the age of the animals shot?

what was the age of the animals and were these animals able to breed

 

i'll wait............

[TBoneTX 43,915]

8 hours ago, Ban Hammer said:

many don't ask enough questions

True.  Here's another, with answer:

 

Why did the elephant sit on the marshmallow?

To keep from falling into the hot chocolate.

[Neonred 3,492]

I can think of some people that would make good "home decor"  if you get my drift.

[yuna628 9,582]

Just disgusting.

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

2 hours ago, yuna628 said:

Just disgusting.

The La Pierre's are disgusting on several levels. This only came to light because they ran afoul of tax and fraud law that made these documents public.

 

They used NRA funds to finance their conspicuous consumption. My Dad was a member for decades and was so frugal he wouldn't spend $10.00 for a good sandwich (and he loved the 4.99 breakfast at the greasy spoon). Why should funds he , and others, assumed were for lobbying and education be used for yachts, Caribbean villas and junkets to kill  exotic animals for sport?

 

The foundation claims the trip was educational because most of the animal parts went to the NRA museum. 

 

 

"After Susan killed the elephant in Botswana, video shows, she was fixated on the creature’s feet. As she touched them, she said, “He’s so wrinkly. . . . Wow. A podiatrist would love working on him.” Photographs of the taxidermied appendages show that the animal’s wrinkled gray skin, the light coating of hair, and the massive, cracked toenails are all preserved, and, in the case of the stools, topped with wooden rings and black leather seating pads."

 

To top it off, Wayne couldn't even bring down his animal in a sportsman like manner. What a loser.

 

The slam against the LaPierre' s isn't that they went on a legal elephant hunt, it's that they are self absorbed, indulgent, tone deaf, unsporting, wasteful, willfully uneducated on ethics and proud of all of that, as long as their taxpayer subsidized and NRA member funded luxurious lifestyle is on someone else's dime.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Crtcl Rice Theory

[Dashinka 23,781]

53 minutes ago, Crtcl Rice Theory said:

The La Pierre's are disgusting on several levels. This only came to light because they ran afoul of tax and fraud law that made these documents public.

 

They used NRA funds to finance their conspicuous consumption. My Dad was a member for decades and was so frugal he wouldn't spend $10.00 for a good sandwich (and he loved the 4.99 breakfast at the greasy spoon). Why should funds he , and others, assumed were for lobbying and education be used for yachts, Caribbean villas and junkets to kill  exotic animals for sport?

 

The foundation claims the trip was educational because most of the animal parts went to the NRA museum. 

 

 

"After Susan killed the elephant in Botswana, video shows, she was fixated on the creature’s feet. As she touched them, she said, “He’s so wrinkly. . . . Wow. A podiatrist would love working on him.” Photographs of the taxidermied appendages show that the animal’s wrinkled gray skin, the light coating of hair, and the massive, cracked toenails are all preserved, and, in the case of the stools, topped with wooden rings and black leather seating pads."

 

To top it off, Wayne couldn't even bring down his animal in a sportsman like manner. What a loser.

 

The slam against the LaPierre' s isn't that they went on a legal elephant hunt, it's that they are self absorbed, indulgent, tone deaf, unsporting, wasteful, willfully uneducated on ethics and proud of all of that, as long as their taxpayer subsidized and NRA member funded luxurious lifestyle is on someone else's dime.

Doesn’t this describe a lot of folks in these types of positions?  Btw, I am not a member of the NRA, but are they getting taxpayer subsidies?

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

1 hour ago, Crtcl Rice Theory said:

To top it off, Wayne couldn't even bring down his animal in a sportsman like manner. What a loser.

Not sure what this means, exactly?  I don't know of any human that brings down large game in a "sportsmanlike manner".  At least not that are still alive today.

Edited August 1, 2021 by LIBrty4all

[Ban Hammer 12,999]

2 hours ago, LIBrty4all said:

Not sure what this means, exactly?  I don't know of any human that brings down large game in a "sportsmanlike manner".  At least not that are still alive today.

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

4 hours ago, Dashinka said:

Doesn’t this describe a lot of folks in these types of positions?  Btw, I am not a member of the NRA, but are they getting taxpayer subsidies?

They have a 503 c (4) status which makes them tax exempt. I am not sure how they swing that with the donations to political races, but they do. That part is grey area enough, but when you toss in the self dealing and personal enrichment that LaPierre is engaging in, it makes it more gauling.

[laylalex 7,273]

I am not a hunter and I do not like being around firearms. Just my preference. But my husband grew up with shooting for sport, and it's something he's looking forward to doing when he's back in Scotland in September. I don't understand it at all, but it's not mine to understand. And like the LaPierres, what he will be doing is legal, even if I find it distasteful. (Granted he is hunting grouse and not elephants or hyenas.) What I find worse here is that the LaPierres seem ashamed of what they have done, by working to keep their names away from the import of their trophies. If you're going to do this sort of thing, at least own it. 

[Ban Hammer 12,999]

35 minutes ago, laylalex said:

What I find worse here is that the LaPierres seem ashamed of what they have done, by working to keep their names away from the import of their trophies.

most likely, they knew that some would be up in arms without asking too many questions.........

[laylalex 7,273]

Just now, Ban Hammer said:

most likely, they knew that some would be up in arms without asking too many questions.........

I get that, but surely they should have the courage of their convictions. For example, Donald Trump Jr. doesn't shy away from posing for pics on his big game hunts, and he is subjected to a great deal of outrage and criticism for doing so. 

 

I should take my temperature, I think I just held up Don Jr. as a model for how to handle oneself!  It was a long drive back from San Diego, I probably need a nap.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

3 hours ago, laylalex said:

I am not a hunter and I do not like being around firearms. Just my preference. But my husband grew up with shooting for sport, and it's something he's looking forward to doing when he's back in Scotland in September. I don't understand it at all, but it's not mine to understand. And like the LaPierres, what he will be doing is legal, even if I find it distasteful. (Granted he is hunting grouse and not elephants or hyenas.) What I find worse here is that the LaPierres seem ashamed of what they have done, by working to keep their names away from the import of their trophies. If you're going to do this sort of thing, at least own it. 

Had my first gun at 7.  Hunted with it alone by 8.  Have been shooting all my life, and am pretty much an expert at it and the medals to prove it. 

However... Guns are simply tools to complete a task, like a drill for holes, a driver for installing screws, a saw for cutting things or a hammer to drive a nail.  As such, it brings enjoyment to the wielder for accomplishing a task, nothing more.  Sometimes, we create amazing things with tools.  Other times, it is nothing more than the satisfaction of the ability to precisely accomplish something, similar to baking "the perfect" loaf of bread, or pie (which I also happen to enjoy).

Having said all of that, I don't get the attraction of big game hunting.  Unless one is feeding a village, or culling an over-populated herd (happens often), the idea of taking a trophy animal isn't my thing.

 

But as that dude with the big hammer mentioned above... how much money did they pay to hunt the elephant?  Whom did it benefit?  There is often more to the story than the emotional byline.

 

And you are right... if you feel that doing it is ok, nothing wrong with it, why hide it?  Just pay your fee and enjoy the rewards.  Seems hypocritical to hide it.