I know that some people who follow “dangerous wild animals” stories are committed animal rights activists who think it’s principled to oppose killing these animals, even when they’ve threatened humans.

It seems to me the basis for this is the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you believe animals deserve to be treated humanely — human-ly– you are are extending the Golden Rule to animals, right? Seems like a reasonable thing to do. I do it myself. I’ve been involved in two dog training books (one, Outwitting Dogs, that I co-wrote, new one, 101 Dog Training Tips, I did solo) that advocate rewards-based training. I’d like to see every dog owner embrace this approach because I don’t think we’re doing right by our dogs when we train them by frightening or hurting them.

But let’s apply this principle to a scenario in which a mountain lion is stalking people. Golden Rule. Put yourself in the lion’s paws. His habitat has been invaded by humans. All he’s doing is responding according to his nature.

But the Golden Rule has two clauses. Look at part 2: “as you’d have them do unto you.”

Part 2 assumes that you naturally look out for your own self-interest. It assumes you value yourself and are willing to protect yourself from harm.

To put it bluntly: the Golden Rule requires as its basis a healthy foundation of pure self-interest.

Take away self-interest, and the Golden Rule is de facto perverted.

It becomes a kind of one-way suicide pact: kill me first, so that I don’t have to kill you. Do harm to me because that absolves me of the consequences of doing harm to you.

In purely practical terms, when we assume this stance, we give full rein to predators — human as well as animal. That’s not an application of the Golden Rule.

Okay, so is that a bad thing (says the animal rights activist)? Is suicide, in the context of environmental principles, somehow redemptive? Is Shaffer Warner a better man because he doesn’t want authorities to kill the lion that’s stalking him and his family?

I guess there are people who would answer yes. I don’t see how it’s clear thinking, though. I don’t see how it shows respect for life . . .