Saturday 24 March 2012

it's not a 'sport'

I found myself leaving a comment on someone's blog recently and realized, once again that I have a very strong opinion about this subject of guns, in general, and hunting specifically. As I rambled on and on with my comment (you can see it at: http://callmenurse.blogspot.ca/) I decided that it should be a blog topic for me and hence...you.
Okay, here goes. HUNTING IS NOT A SPORT.
Can we just be honest about it? It is about killing living things. For no good reason. That really is the long and the short story.
Please do not try to convince me otherwise. I have heard all the arguments especially the one about it being okay as long as the animal is eaten. Is that because most sport hunters are starving and can't get to the store? I have also been subjected to the lecture about connecting with nature and bonding with your elders or your kids (nice example to the next generation) living off the land, etc., and blah, blah, blah. Oh come on. Most hunters are just guys & gals who enjoy killing and can easily obtain food and too much of it almost any where or grow it, like the rest of us do. People...it is simply not the right thing to do in this day and age in our modern world. Yes, I do realize that in some remote parts of the world some people do hunt to eat but I am not talking about them. Wildlife have enough obstacles to their daily survival, as it is. Do they really need to deal with human beings and all their ridiculous hunting gear/equipment/vehicles/dogs, in order to provide sport ? This is of course after being terrorized first. Think about this reality combined with a little alcohol and you get the picture. (Can you say hunting accident?) Just the thought of how the odds are so stacked against wildlife is quite distressing. It is so not a man against nature challenge. As if we need that concept anyway. Then there is the belief that there is the hunter out there that is ethical, responsible & humane (aka killer-of-living- things-for-sport). Uh huh. I know that guy too and I really like him a lot but I find it hard to wrap my head around this activity that he participates in. I do know that we won't ever discuss this issue. Please do not tell me about population control unless you are taking about human population control. The fact is that there really are too many people, not too many animals in the world. People alone have created the situations in which there are too many animals in too small an area (loss of habitat, perhaps, due to rampant human development and just plain old destruction). Killing living things for sport (aka hunting) is wrong.
I'm pretty sure about that. Kindness to all living things is much better.

12 comments:

BOBOJOJO said...

Dearest Vaquera
Clearly you are distraught, passionate, and unflinching in your assessment.
But it behooves me to point out the obvious argument that you have inadvertently omitted.
As my dear friend and associate, Richard Cheney has pointed out to me, that left unchecked and free from terror to scamper about williy nilly throughout the flora, we are just not sure as to what kind of evil going-ons they might get tangled up in. We must be ever vigilant and always take an offensive tact when it comes to things that we don't understand, and as such, must rightfully fear. The cost is far to great to think otherwise.They may indeed wish to unhinge our entire way of life. Have you ever seen how squirrels view us that contemptible tone in their eyes. I for one will not fooled.

Anonymous said...

YAY!!!! A Gina RANT! I agree. Although I am a carnivorous one, I don't know that I could actually kill an animal, even to eat, and actually acknowledge the "face on my plate" if it wasn't delivered so nice and neat to my supermarket.

That being said.... You do know how I feel about guns, not sport hunting, but defending yourself with the right to bear arms. I promised myself, after our last discussion about it, that I would not go there again, but that I would agree to disagree. I have guns to keep me safe, to keep my animals safe, not for sport, not for anything except what they are intended to do, should I be so unfortunate to have to experience "that". I agree though, leave the killing of animals to the other animals that truly need to kill each other to survive. The circle of life thing...until you're ready to throw on a loin cloth, build fire with rocks, and forage for your food.... Stick to your supermarket. :)

Eric said...

Well la dee dah... I kill fish for sport cause it's fun and love to eat them! So whaaaaat... that is my retirement sport... golfing is to stinking expensive, I'm just enjoying it now! We still love being opinionated don't we? :) But that's ok, we all have them, opinions that is. Is there a fishing accident in my future? haha

Ok, and here's one for ya... what about those friggin code things one has to decipher before you can send your message... those are messed up!

kevel88 said...

Well, I have not figured out why killing Bambi is a sport!?!?!? It also seems to me that there is little need for guns or wars!!??!! "No one starts a war warning that those involved will lose their innocence. . . It would at least be fair warning and an honest admission: war will kill anyone old enough to die. . "

kevel88 said...

bobojo is alive?

BOBOJOJO said...

Alive, well, blogging, broken-hearted...again, and using cowgirls blog to communicate

Cowgirl said...

Well, well, well...this is bringing them out of the woodwork! BoBoJoJo is indeed ALIVE (but still not blogging), A-NON-Y-MOUSE' is still packin' heat, 'Eric' is yelling at me, and 'KEVEL' is our 'peace mediator'(the voice of reason)...thanks guys for negotiating the code words (that is BLOGGER'S addition that is now on everyone's blog). I love you all.

ingrid said...

hi.
it's;ingrid.
mykeyboardisbroken.ihavenospacebar.
soican'tsigninifallthecodesihavetoenterhavespacebars.
can'ttypeverywell.
:(

ingrid said...

I like to think of "sports" as something athletic and competitive. I do not see hunting as athletic in any way. It passes time, it "relaxes" some, and it's social. (thinking of fox hunting). And pretty much every single Nature program I watch talks about how someplace or some creature has been devastated due to hunting. That devastation ripples out into everything, so I have yet to see or hear anything positive regarding hunting in any form.

If you want to call hunting a sport, then try going out into the woods without all your modern gear, without all your modern comforts, and try to survive/hunt like some natives of certain places still do. That would be athletic, dangerous, and skilled.

Today's "hunting" is like someone who rents a cabin on a resort and says they're going "camping".

As to guns in general, I'm not 100% on either "side".
I do feel that a majority of places in the States have horrible laws regarding guns. The wrong people are getting the wrong type of guns. But I don't think a ban is the answer. I'm just not convinced.

Most people say they want guns to protect themselves, but most accidents are from stray bullets. Strays from gun fights that had nothing to do with you.

Keep in mind I live in Philadelphia. I missed work one day because my car was taped off in a crime scene involving an AK-47 right outside my front door. (I'll post those pictures some day) I was sitting at my desk by my window at the time. I could have easily been killed. I don't know how I was so lucky, but I was. And it wasn't because I had a gun that kept me alive, it was because someone else had one that I was in danger.

I don't know, just food for thought.

Shelley said...

Well, a controversial subject!! May I chime in:)? I have recently learned something new about hunting. I took Hunter Training in High School and had to learn how to identify every animal, fish and bird in Canada!! Well, the major ones. It was quite the course. And I too always thought Hunting was a sport and that some hunters shoot 'just for fun'. BUT...after meeting (and falling in love with) a hunter, I have learnt otherwise. I have always had NO problem with people who hunt for food. None! What I had a problem with was those that went and shot for fun/sport.

I find it personally much healthier to eat meat that is wild than meat that comes front the supermarket...and how are those animals treated? I have read every book and was a PETA member for years as a former vegan. So I always thought that eskimos and natives and anyone who went and got a yearly moose or deer was doing something great...just not those doing it for 'fun'.

I have recently gone to a banquet with 300 hunters. These hunters support the wild lands in the US. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was the name of this particular organization. I met wonderful people and these people do not kill for sport. The hunting laws vary from state to state, but they are very specific and the amount you can kill per year is minimal. One elk for example and the points have to be so many etc. etc. These hunters all talked about the meat they get. I have been informed that no hunter does it just for the kill. They do it to eat the meat no differently than processing plants that stun animals or boil chickens while still alive. There are SO many unethical practices in our meat industry yet hunters are actually a very law abiding group who will turn in a hunter who is not ethical. Yes they get all the garb to hunt and spend the money on camo and rifles and tents etc. But they feed themselves for a year!! And give to friends!!

The amount of wild lands this foundation has secured for all recreation users is amazing. Well over a million acres have been bought! And hunters give generously to the cause. And the rules and timing on hunting is very, very strict. I must say, I have a brand new found appreciation for this group of people. I did not know that ALL hunters ate their meat and that NONE of them did it just for sport. It is unethical in the hunting community. It was that which was news to me. I was so happy to hear that.

So...what is it going to be...killing animals (and sometimes very cruelly) in the mass food market system, or hunting very limited amounts/year (yet can feed you for a year) while sticking to strict practices of even how to shoot and where to hit so the animal dies instantly. Not to mention MUCH healthier meat. Even healthier than most organic meat as they are not grain fed the last few months for weight gain thus keeping the omega 3's high. This coming from a former vegan!!

Not trying to persuade, just inform:)

Shelley said...

I want to clarify after rereading that they do not hunt JUST for sport...they do consume their meat and are all very ethical about this. It is, with all the things to be bought, a sport, but at least it is a sport that feeds them and their loved ones for a year. Golf feeds no one and costs a fortune and uses up tons of resources...

Shelley said...

Oh, and I have met no hunters that would EVER drink and go hunting!! There are very strict rules on gun use and like anywhere or in any sport or club or work situation, there will always be those that misrepresent the group by doing something stupid like drinking and shooting. But, I am here to tell you from first hand knowledge that that is NOT the norm. Alcohol and hunting is frowned upon. These men and women love animals and want to treat them ethically. They want to preserve wild lands. I would choose hunting any day over supporting mass meat processing plants where kindness to animals is truly questionable. The only way to avoid talking about killing animals for food, is if one was vegan taking an all-encompassing stance against it. Been there, done that. OK, my speech is done!! Hugs!