My journey of a thousand signatures began with the first ask. To my surprise, months later I am now a battle-hardened volunteer petition circulator, having personally collected over a thousand signatures from my fellow Coloradans for the statewide ballot initiative known as “Cats Aren’t Trophies.” This initiative will halt the unsporting and inhumane killing of mountain lions and the trapping and then killing of bobcats and lynx for sport, selfies, or fur and profit. The bill makes exceptions for the protection of property, people and livestock.
During the massive effort of about 800 statewide volunteers in 46 counties to collect our final total of approximately 188,000 signatures – well over the required number, which is around 124,000 – to get this initiative on the ballot in November, I learned some new things about people that have broadened my horizons about the human heart.
Initially I would attempt to determine if a person was the type of human being who would sign my clipboard. That was my first big learning curve. Through trial and error, I now understand that we truly cannot judge a book by its cover. Often the biggest, baddest looking folks (yes, beautiful biker gang, I mean you) turned out to be curious, open, kind and courteous. I began to look forward to asking the apparent outliers for their signatures for that very reason.
Don’t pre-judge, don’t guess, just ask. – Julia Archer
The paid circulators who often generously mentored us newbie volunteers were firm on that point; ask everybody. Don’t pre-judge, don’t guess, just ask. So, I did. I struck gold about 85% of the time. Not all ballot initiatives have such a clear call to action, but in this case, most Coloradans do indeed strongly oppose trophy hunting or trapping of these beautiful and ecologically important animals for sport, selfies or profit.
I’ll tell you another thing that I learned by approaching complete strangers (over 1,000 times, did I mention that?) and asking them to take a moment to speak with me. I learned that most folks were open to hear about the issue and were willing to connect, however briefly, over shared values.
Most wildlife-loving Coloradans deplore trophy hunting as cruel and unnecessary. We are painfully aware that species stress, decline or extinction is now largely caused by us humans. We want to preserve and protect the conditions and habitat that these animals need to thrive. Folks new to the issue were horrified to learn that these magnificent animals are often tracked with packs of dogs outfitted with GPS electronic collars to guarantee a kill, then cornered or treed and shot, and that the primary reason is for profit – often out-of-state trophy hunters who pay thousands of dollars for the entertainment. Almost half of the over 500 kills this past season were female. Kittens with a dead mom have about a 4% survival rate.
Most citizens were surprised that these activities were not already illegal and were supportive of the initiative and eager to sign. Many elk and deer hunters, who hunt for food, not profit or entertainment, feel the same and support this initiative.
I learned that some settings are more conducive to taking a few moments to connect than others. Supermarkets and big box stores were harder locations for me personally to collect signatures, as these settings seemed to create the most fertile grounds for indifference. When any of us are overworked, time-stressed and responsible for feeding self/others, we may just not have the physical or mental energy to stop and speak with anybody, let alone a stranger. Also, the social rules surrounding consumerism support what I have come to call “polite indifference.” It goes like this: ‘I respect our distance; I don’t know you or care to know you since I won’t ever see you again after the checkout line. We both have a right to be here, and I will happily be courteous if needed, but it probably won’t be needed. I will make eye-contact only if needed or asked to do so.’
In contrast, dog parks were usually very petition-friendly environments. Dogs and their guardians were commonly there to relax and interact. The mood was always markedly different than when folks were in errand mode. I liked people better at the dog park, whether they signed my petition or not. We are indeed better humans when we have the time and environmental settings to breathe fresh air, to be curious and to share who we are with another human being. Even the “no’s” that I got were generally kinder and more courteous at the dog park.
My next favorite places were small businesses that supported our initiative, Downtown Colorado Springs along Tejon Street on a sunny weekend afternoon, our vital and sociable farmers markets, all Pride Fests and the Summer Solstice drum jam in Manitou Springs. These are all venues that consistently support connection, general friendliness and, from that place, curiosity.
So, if you’re ever touched by an issue and find yourself asked to collect signatures to support your cause, say “yes!” I am confident that you will learn some valuable things about yourself and the world around you. Purchase a good sunhat, wear comfy shoes, carry a backpack with water and snacks and become an expert in ballpoint pen quality. Be prepared to witness the good, the bad and the ugly – but mostly the good.
Having gathered more than the required number of signatures, we are looking forward to the Sec of State’s official approval and inclusion on the November ballot.
Please, vote in November. Vote for it all, but especially for this bill and bills like this one, that encourage us to be better and kinder humans, not just to our own species, but to the many others who share this beautiful state with us.
For more information, go to CatsArentTrophies.org/Science/ and MountainLion.org.
Julia Archer has deep Colorado roots. Her mother was born in Cripple Creek during the last days of the Gold Rush. Her grandfather worked in and managed mines in Cripple Creek and Del Norte. Favorite smells are ponderosa pine and juniper early in the morning.