'Shoot These Man-Eaters on Sight'

"Deaths of people and livestock at the hands of savage beasts is a sign that the land is under a curse. The tragic thing here is that we are bringing this curse upon ourselves." So concludes another divisive screed from the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, who has baited his critics so many times that some are wondering if he writes these items just for shock-value. After scribbling a near-universally panned article last month advocating the ban of all mosques from the United States, he now sets his sights (literally) on an animal species: the grizzly bear.

In a meandering blog post, the "Issue Analysis" director of the conservative group points to a recent Los Angeles Times report as evidence that some Americans "exude far more compassion for live bears than dead people." This statement itself may not have drawn as much fire if he didn't frame the sentiment this way: "If it's a choice between grizzlies and humans, the grizzlies have to go. And it's time." To the question of how to delicately relocate bears with wise game management (i.e. hunting them to reduce their numbers), Fischer offers a simple solution: "shoot these man-eaters on sight."

Yep, that may well rile up some critics.

• Washington Monthly - "Obviously, the incidents are awful.But we've entered a pretty nutty territory once folks start looking at bears as evidence of America being 'under a curse.'"

• MSNBC (Rachel Maddow's Blog) - "Anyway, not even Sarah Palin advocates shooting animals for the sake of wiping them off the face of the earth - and especially not grizzlies."

• Right Wing Watch - "There seem to be three things that the AFA's Bryan Fischer just cannot tolerate: gays, Muslims, and animal attacks."

• Talking Points Memo - Also, "He was furious that the killer whale Tilikum killed a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando in February, because it's just part of the 'ongoing failure of the West to take counsel on practical matters from the Scripture.'"

• The Awl - "God Hates Bears"