Both the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill allowing hunters to wear "blaze pink" as an alternative to the traditional "hunter orange." The subject has now become a hot button issue on every social media site and is being debated by men and women alike.

State Representative Malinda Brumfield-White from Bogalusa authored the bill she says was requested by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. She wrote on her personal Facebook page:

State Rep. Malinda Brumfield-White (Facebook)
State Rep. Malinda Brumfield-White (Facebook)
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IT IS NOT A FASHION STATEMENT! I am a hunter and take safety seriously. I have no issue carrying this bill for them as blaze pink has been found to be MORE visible against the fall foliage. It is an OPTION for hunters.

Notice the capitalized words in that quote. The most important word, in my humble opinion, is "option."

There are a lot of other words showing up in comments that aren't particularly polite: "ridiculous," "ugly," "stay home," "stupid." The list goes on and on.

We Louisianians are a passionate lot when it comes to food, music, fishing and hunting. However, I would hope that we can take a small step back and put this into perspective. The bill doesn't take away hunter orange. It simply adds blaze pink as another option. If you don't like pink, wear orange. I may be simplifying it, but I don't understand why there's such a level of vehemence.

Rep. Brumfield-White did say that she thinks the addition of pink as an option may entice more women to the sport. I understand some women were offended by that.

I can tell you that my eldest daughter who is an adult now has absolutely loved pink camo since she was old enough to say the word. She got a Mossy Oak steering wheel cover and floor mats in pink camo for her birthday in April. She is, and has always been, my rough and tumble girl. And she likes pink. Did she not go hunting because she couldn't wear it? No. Did she care? No. Will she be excited that she can now? Yes.

One of the major points of contention from several commenters on many posts has been that people are opposed to such legislation during a time when our state faces a fiscal crisis. Brumfield-White says on her official fan page that she is unsure why this particular bill garnered so much media attention when hundreds of bills are up for consideration. However, she is correct when she makes the following statement:

The fiscal issues cannot be discussed during this session which is why a special session will be called to address cuts and revenues.

Orange or pink is an option, and it's one that I don't believe will be detrimental to anyone. Ignore the blaze pink garments and opt for hunter orange if it's not what you want to wear. Is it really an issue we need to be hurling unkind words and comments over?

 

 

 

 

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