Colorado's First Gentleman, Marlon Reis, has deactivated his social media accounts after getting into a heated argument about wolves on Facebook over the weekend.
When Reiss, who is the husband of Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, posted online about subsidies the state is offering for non-lethal wolf repellents, he got into a heated exchange with David Gittleson in the comments section. According to 9News.
Gittleson is a longtime rancher from Walden, a town of about 600 people 150 miles northwest of Denver. Dealt with wolves killing livestock The outlet reported that this was even before Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officially reintroduced the species to the state last December.
“It's really none of my business. It's none of my business what you do or what you don't eat. It's none of my business what you think you know or what you think you're qualified to comment on,” Rice said, according to screenshots obtained by the outlet.
“It's fine if your family loves the spotlight and never misses an opportunity to disparage the Front Range, but if you're proud to be ranchers, act accordingly. This complaint is going to get stuck in no time,” he continued.
“You have misused the media by stoking fear of wolves. An entire institution for conflict resolution is at your mercy. The interference you believe is happening is a myth,” Reiss said in another comment. “David, I wish you well, but you must use the system that is already in place. No one gets special treatment. The law applies equally to all parties.”
It was not immediately clear whether Gittleson said anything to upset Reiss.
By Monday, the Facebook page for “First Gentleman Marlon Reis” was no longer publicly available on Facebook.
In response to a request from The Washington Post, a spokesperson for Governor Polis said Reis “views social media as a tool to celebrate animals and share the many ways the Polis Administration is actively working to protect them.”
“The volume of negative comments on his posts became so great in recent weeks that he felt his pages no longer served their purpose of fostering compassion, appreciation and respect for animals,” spokesperson Shelby Wieman said. “Rather than allow his social media channels to become a forum for misinformation, he has decided to deactivate them for the time being.”
Several animals have been attacked since a pack of 10 wolves was brought to Colorado this winter as part of a voter-approved reintroduction plan. According to Colorado Public Radio.
Wildlife officials said Wednesday they were trying to capture and relocate the recurring group. attack According to the Associated Press, the plan has faced fierce opposition from livestock farmers and has stumbled early on in its first year.
Ranching groups want the wolf packs eradicated, but wildlife conservationists say more should have been done to stop wolves from killing livestock, including using electric fences that would have more effectively deterred attacks.
Colorado officials, unlike other states where wolves have been reintroduced, have decided not to kill wolves that kill livestock because there aren't enough wolves around to lethally destroy the packs, spokesman Travis Duncan said.
Rancher Ted Richards, who lives about 15 miles from his ranch in Grand County, Colorado, where most of the livestock attacks occurred, told The Associated Press he was glad the herd had been removed.
He accuses them of killing at least 16 cattle and sheep, and wants them kept in captivity to stop them from killing again.
“These kids have learnt to kill livestock and will continue to do so,” said Richard, chairman of the Middle Park Livestock Farmers Association. “Once they get a taste of sheep and cattle, it's a whole different world.”
Polis won a landslide victory in the 2018 gubernatorial election, becoming the first openly gay politician elected governor in U.S. history. He was up for re-election for a second term in 2022.
Wraith It is listed on her husband's governor's page. “Freelance writer, animal welfare advocate, father, and Colorado's first First Gentleman.”
“From raising two amazing children to his ongoing support of animal welfare organizations like Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary, Marlon is committed to making Colorado a better place to live,” the website says.
He and Polis married in 2021 and have two children.
With post wire
