MLB player reacts to controversy over taking son hunting

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson courted controversy by posting a photograph of taking his son along to hunt geese.

“Do you really need food that badly?” a woman named Barbara asked him, according to Outkick the Coverage. “Are you even going to put them In your freezer and eat them. He could try eating vegan or vegetarian for awhile. Or maybe if the birds and animals were armed so they could fight back. I would be all for it.”

Another woman named Jen lambasted Swanson for “teaching his son to kill animals” among other sins.

“Wow. Teaching your child to kill animals. Not admirable at all. How about teaching them kindness and compassion to all living things???”

Swanson took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to defend his actions by refusing to apologize.

“I am an avid hunter/fisherman, and I will always be,” Swanson wrote. “For the people who are asking me why I have my son with me, I am teaching him a very important life lesson… the beef, venison, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables all come from somewhere, not just the grocery store.

“Now when [my son] hunts and he harvests his own food, he knows exactly where his food is coming from and what is in it. Next time you go to the grocery store or restaurant and order something, remember that it had to come from somewhere. Know what you are eating! Safe hunting to all!”

[Outkick the Coverage]