Bears vs. Men Debate and Florida!!!

Here's the latest dispatch.

May 03, 2024

Good afternoon,

For you newbies out there, welcome to Outsider on the Inside. I hope this dispatch from in and around the nation’s capital on underreported topics finds you well.

If you’re just discovering my musings, here’s a backgrounder and make sure we’re connected on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Quick Thoughts

Support and follow the work of IWF’s Center for Energy and Conservation today if you haven’t already.

Permitting reform isn’t even immune to ESG/CRT/DEI. Gah.

Some things really don’t need to be aired publicly.

Governor Huckabee Sanders became the first female governor to rebuke the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite.

Post Malone will drop his collaboration with Morgan Wallen next Friday.

Florida has joined several states (and Italy) in banning lab-grown meat.

Bloomberg Magazine’s editorial board came out swinging against ESG investing. Wow.

Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project hit a whale obstacle. Ouch.

State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) announced the creation of a 501(c)4 called SFOF Action.

The Republic of Georgia is straying from its freedom roots and into the arms of Putin/Russia. Sigh.

That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for next Friday’s update!

Man vs. Bear: A Debate

The author photographed six grizzly bears in Montana’s Tom Minor Basin. August 2021 / Sony Alpha 600mm

Of course TikTok is where this silly man vs. bear debate originated from. A quick explainer from USA TODAY:

If you were alone in the woods, would you rather encounter a bear or a man? Answers to that hypothetical question have sparked a debate about why the vast majority say they would feel more comfortable choosing a bear.
The topic has been hotly discussed for weeks as men and women chimed in with their thoughts all over social media.
Screenshot HQ, a TikTok account, started the conversation, asking a group of women whether they would rather run into a man they didn't know or a bear in the forest. Out of the seven women interviewed for the piece, only one picked a man.
"Bear. Man is scary," one of the women responds.
A number of women echoed the responses given in the original video, writing in the comments that they, too, would pick a bear over a man. The hypothetical has people split, with some expressing their sadness over the state of the world and others cracking jokes. Some men were flabbergasted.

As a gun owner and petite woman, women’s safety is something I strongly believe in. Domestic violence isn’t a laughing matter. Some men are abusive. But painting every man in this light is unhealthy. Some women are abusive, too, and would lead men to say they prefer bears over them too. It’s not black-and-white.

Scanning through these responses by largely city-dwelling chicks, many of which were dismissive of men, has me greatly concerned.

Is it me, or can we deduce these gals haven’t spent any time near bears at all? And one road encounter in a National Park doesn’t count - sorry! Those creatures - especially a ravenous/overprotective grizzly bear sow with cubs in Alaska or Montana - is enough to scare hardcore outdoorsmen and woman s***less.

Bears are cool and a key part of the ecosystem. But they are killing machines. In the woods—especially in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem where grizzlies have far exceeded their carrying capacity— you won’t encounter docile bears like the fictitious Winnie-the-Pooh, Baloo, or Smokey the Bear. Disney movies and other cartoons have distorted reality here.

Don’t take my word for it. The Outdoor Guide says, “When they attack, bears are among the most dangerous mammals alive on this earth. Thanks to their size, weight, teeth, claws, and immense power, they are not the sort of animals that should be trifled with.”

Does this mean you should be fearful and avoid the outdoors? NO! Just be bear-aware and don’t intentionally put yourself in harm’s way.

If I’m in grizzly country — a situation I've found myself in Montana, Wyoming, and most recently in Alaska — and I’m not able to carry a gun or weapon, I pray someone in my party is. Usually, I’m filming or adventuring with armed guys in our small group. I generally feel safe around them.

It’s all about situational awareness. Men should make us feel safe to ensure we don’t run into the arms of bears. Most I’ve met have earned my trust, which is why I will not be forced to choose between the two. Be pro-men AND pro-bears.