| A friend of mine's Facebook status recently said | | | | the explorers for food. The dictionary definition of |
| "Why is it that when a man murders an animal it | | | | a savage is: "a fierce, brutal or cruel person". Does |
| is known as sport, but when an animal murders | | | | this fit the bill of the hunter? Oh yes - so he is |
| him it is called ferocity?" | | | | not a sportsman, he is a savage! As for hunting |
| Thought provoking isn't it? Recently fox hunting | | | | being a sport - it is NOT a sport, it is a game, like |
| got banned, the Conservative (half) Government | | | | patience - pointless and played for the |
| have vowed to lift that ban whilst in office. The | | | | amusement of the hunter alone. |
| different opinions of different people. Personally I | | | | I understand that we need to control the |
| was elated when it got banned. It was indeed a | | | | numbers of some animals, which thrive in certain |
| cruel and barbaric sport, the poor foxes never | | | | areas and conditions, but there are ways and |
| stood a chance. How would the hunters feel had | | | | means - humane ways. We do not however, |
| we trapped them in a corner and allowed the | | | | need to control numbers of other animals - such |
| foxes to rip them to pieces? The fox would have | | | | as tigers - who are dying out, because of hunting |
| been "humanely destroyed", should we do this to | | | | - its ridiculous! What we should do is leave nature |
| hunters who kill for "sport"? | | | | to its own devices, it does not need our |
| Can hunting be classified as a sport? Sport is | | | | interception, it knows what it is doing, and has |
| defined in the dictionary as: "an athletic activity | | | | done for the last God knows how many millions |
| requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a | | | | of years. |
| competitive nature"; and a sportsman is defined | | | | If people do want to "hunt", then they should do |
| as: "a person who behaves in a sportsmanlike, | | | | it in a sporting way. There is a sport, that requires |
| fair, or admirable manner". Strangely under the | | | | sportsmen - its called paintball. Now why not let |
| definition of sport hunting and fishing are given as | | | | the "savages" form one team, and we (the anti's) |
| examples! | | | | form the other. Lets not give them guns or |
| Taking these definitions lets ask if hunting (or | | | | shields, but we will let them have a head start. |
| fishing for that matter!) is an athletic activity | | | | Now lets go get them!! See how they like it.... |
| requiring skill or physical prowess or is of a | | | | sorry I got a little carried away! |
| competitive nature? Horse riding requires skill | | | | Alternatively, these "savages" could just form |
| definitely - I've been lucky enough to do it and it | | | | two teams and go off shooting each other - they |
| requires the skill of balance, poise, and hand eye | | | | would get the thrill of the hunt, the enjoyment of |
| co-ordination. Athleticism is not a requirement for | | | | the kill and if they used red paint, they could still |
| riding a horse and neither is it a requirement for | | | | smear each others faces. The only thing they |
| killing a fox or casting a line and ripping a fish's lip | | | | wouldn't have is the murder of an innocent |
| open, nor do you have to be an athlete to fire a | | | | defenseless animal, who pitifully screams as it is |
| gun. Is hunting competitive? Not in the slightest, if | | | | ripped to shreds by their dogs. Maybe - like |
| it were then the animal in question would stand an | | | | nicotine patches - paintball could be made available |
| equal chance of killing the hunter, just like duelling. | | | | via the Health Services to rid these people of |
| Hunting therefore does not fit the definition of | | | | their addiction to kill, after all most serial killers |
| sport. As for sportsmen / sporting behaviour - | | | | begin their prolific "careers" by torturing and killing |
| fair and admirable - hmmm, I think not! Hunters | | | | animals - what does that say about the hunters |
| may be nice people when not hunting, but the act | | | | psyche? |
| of being a hunter is in no way fair or admirable. | | | | We all know that the "savages" would not enjoy |
| I am now hunting (pardon the pun) - for a word | | | | becoming the prey, and therefore just like in |
| that will actually describe hunting in a manner | | | | other areas of life - if you don't like having it done |
| befitting the activity..... In the old days, travellers | | | | to you, then you don't do it to others, regardless |
| returned from far off lands telling tales of | | | | of the specie! |
| "savages" - some of which were cannibals, hunting | | | | |