23 September 2002 It's Not My Protest It was with some interest that I saw the story this week about country people protesting about the proposed ban on fox hunting, not least because I was born and raised in the country and I can assure you I will be delighted when the damned practice is outlawed. People who hunt foxes for sport are scum. Bloodthirsty scum. The thing is the media seem to have picked up on this idea that every country dweller is a hunt supporter and nothing could be further from the truth. The only country dwellers who hunt are the rich upper classes and there simply aren't that many of them. As for the hunt being of practical benefit to farmers, what with keeping the fox population under control, trust me - that's just crap. Think of the damage a couple of dozen horses galloping all over your crops can do and quite frankly the overbearing shits who go hunting don't give a damn about any of it. Foxes aren't that big a problem. I've seen far more damage done on a farm by dogs - family pets who were allowed to roam and ended up savaging an entire flock of sheep. Foxes can kill, but if you've got a farm you'll take your own measures to prevent that happening. My step-father owned quite a large farm and had made it quite clear the local hunt would not be welcome to set foot, or hoof, on an inch of his property. Since his farm covered quite a large part of the area the hunt rode in, they weren't too happy. I remember when I was a child, one of the head honchos of the hunt (a local doctor) called at the house and with a typically overbearing manner told my dad that he would just have to allow the hunt to have access. My dad didn't stand and argue the point. He just spoke calmly and said: "I have a couple of shotguns in the house and they're licensed for shooting vermin." That was all he said and it was up to the hunt to decide whether he meant he was shooting the foxes for being vermin, or if he was saying he'd shoot any huntsman on his property because they were vermin. The hunt never came over our farm while we lived there. Don't get me wrong - my dad was a farmer who raised animals for slaughter so he couldn't be described as an active member of the animal rights lobby and he did kill foxes, I know that for a fact. However, he killed foxes because they could damage his livelihood; he took no pleasure from it. So the next time you see some plummy-voiced asshole on the television extolling the virtues of the hunt and pointing out how it's part of the country way of life, remember I'm telling you that's a lot of bullshit.
| |
| Stale | Fresh |
�
Cast List
� |
