Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were indicted for allegedly gunning down thousands of birds, including eagles protected by federal law, over the course of several years.

Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were indicted for allegedly gunning down thousands of birds, including eagles protected by federal law, over the course of several years.

A grand jury indicted two men on charges of going on a yearslong “killing spree” of federally protected eagles and selling “this country’s national symbol” on the black market, court documents revealed.

Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were each charged last week with one count of alleged conspiracy and 13 counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Federal prosecutors said they have messages from Branson stating that he was “committing felonies” and “telling buyers he was ‘on a killing spree’ to obtain eagle tail feathers for future sales.”

Branson would travel from Washington state to the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana to meet up with Paul who’d “help kill, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market,” according to the indictment.

  • Square Singer@feddit.de
    113·
    1 year ago

    I do see what you mean, but I do have to disagree on that point.

    Someone involved in illegal bird killing or other acts of environmental destruction (oil, gas, producing garbage, …) most surely knows what the effects of their actions are, but their want for personal gain is bigger.

    And the moral difference between doing something terrible out of mallice or greed is very small, if it even exists.

    Slavery isn’t better when it’s done just for the money.

    • GigglyBobble@kbin.social
      51·
      1 year ago

      You’re right about this specific case. Those guys were probably just greedy to the point of evil.

      However, the comment I replied to made a pretty universal claim about rulers. And at least looking at our rulers in Europe I see more incompetence than malice.

      • Square Singer@feddit.de
        51·
        1 year ago

        However, the comment I replied to made a pretty universal claim about rulers.

        Yeah, universal statements tend to lack nuance.

        But especially with the right-wing parties I see quite a bit of malice for the point of personal gain.

        And at least in Austria, Germany and the UK the conservatives are so deep into working for personal gain, that they completely forget what would benefit the country and the people.

        (I don’t have enough deep enough insight into the governments of other countries in Europe to say anything about that, but from what I read, Hungary and Italy are not better off)