Greenland planning tourist polar bear hunts

The Danish government is pursuing a plan that would allow rich tourists to visit Greenland, kill polar bears, and return to their homelands triumphantly wielding large white pelts.

Here's the rationale, according to the story:

"The local government in the icy Danish territory hopes polar bear hunts will help bolster the faltering economy in the northwestern part of the island by creating jobs for hunting guides, Danish news agency Ritzau reported Saturday."

Anyway, before you call WWF, you should know that polar bear hunting has already been legal for permanent residents of Greenland for some time. Maybe they eat them or something. Where I grew up, and not far from where I live, many people still hunt as a way to supply their families with food. But this strikes me as being in rather poor taste.

Aside from the fact that hunting semi-exotic animals for trophies seems stupid in general (sorry, George Eastman), it just seems icky for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on it. Something about trying to get through customs with an enormous piece of white bear-fuzz. It would feel, I don't know...unnatural. I'm not sure I could feel at all secure in my own dignity trying to pull that one off.

"What do you have in the bag, sir?"

"It's, um, a bearskin."

"Let's see it."

"Um...no. Just trust me, it's a bearskin."

"Sir, this is white. Aren't bears brown or black?"

"Well, mostly. But this was, uh...it was, um...a polar bear."

Maybe it's just me, but I can't imagine an ending to that conversation that wouldn't leave me completely humiliated. And I won't even try to imagine how a polar bear pelt would work as a conversation piece in my house. So with apologies to the Danes, I will not be applying for a polar bear permit any time soon.