Page 1 of Fox hunting - will the bill to ban it get through this parliamentary session ?

The "unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable" were out round where I live yesterday. I really hope that the bill to ban hunting with dogs gets through parliament this time and isn`t blocked by those (unelected) silly old duffers in the Upper House. The argument that it is a way of life holds no water for me at least. Bear baiting and cock fighting were a way of life ages ago, so was the gladitorial arena and throwing Christians to the lions, none of which would be called part of civilized life today. What do others think, particularly those in Scotland where it is already banned ?

JohnF

GW6UFO is QRT at the moment

Couldn`t agree more. It`s indefensible these days.

It`s one thing to have to keep the fox population under control, another to turn it into an ostentatious "sport".

I`m also hacked off with the way that the pro-hunting lobby have co-opted the whole "countryside" issue into the debate. Many of my family live in rural areas and are vehemently opposed to fox-hunting, and just don`t feel as if they`re being represented by the embarrassment that is the Countryside Alliance.

Couldnt agree more.

Where i live (oxfordshire) you cannot move for "56% say Keep Hunting" posters. Aside from that being a spurious statistic, not being a native to the countryside, every time i espouse the "whats the point? how can it possibly be an effective poulation control" opinion i get the "Its tradition" argument repeated to me ad nauseum.

I personally cant think of one practical and moral reason for fox hunting. And, in my experience, the people who support it are the same kinds of people who support the monarchy.

Agreed. Its our equivelent of bull fighting, another sick `sport`.

Rich

Doesn`t seem all that different to keeping battery hens caged, and slaughtering cows, sheep, lambs etc

Not to mention dropping live lobsters and the like into boiling water, never heard anyone complain about that one!

Seems to me that things are beginning to get so `PC` that eventually it will be a crime to kill a fly !

Personally I`d rather see more effort in hunting down the real killers of this world - namely murderers, rapists and paedophiles.

But then again the do-gooders try and protect them too, blah blah blah..........

Mind you it is certainly a lot cleaner and quicker taking them out with a 7mm rifle like I used to do when I was younger ( that`s the foxes that is, not the other `animals` - mind you, that might just be an option too ? )

Oh and by the way, I don`t agree with the hunting of foxes by hounds either, especially as it`s carried out arrogant, snobbish assholes, its much better to drive them towards the guns and get em that way!



He he he ............ :p

This item was edited on Sunday, 30th November 2003, 15:50

Quote:
Personally I`d rather see more effort in hunting down the real killers of this world - namely murderers, rapists and paedophiles.

But then again the do-gooders try and protect them too, blah blah blah..........

Does anyone anywhere possess so much as a single scrap of evidence that proves the existence of "do-gooders" who "try and protect" murderers, rapists and paedophiles?

I am, however, fairly sure that fox-hunters do exist.

additionally, when was the last time you set a pack of 30 dogs and 6 upper class blokes in red on a battery chicken?

Quote:
Doesn`t seem all that different to keeping battery hens caged, and slaughtering cows, sheep, lambs etc Killing for food is a whole lot different to killing for sport/pleasure. Whether or not it`s morally right is another question. Vegans amongst us would argue it isn`t.


JohnF

GW6UFO is QRT at the moment

I`m pretty sure that the Fox Hunting Bill wasn`t included in the Queen`s Speech the other day meaning that it`s probably on the shelf until after Labour win the next election - thats if they decide to resurrect it. It was thought that Labour would keep faith with this as a bribe to its members who otherwise may have voted against plans for increased University fees. Either everything is going to go tits up for Tony or he has a cunning plan!

Pete :)

I must admit, I`m confused about this bill`s passage through parliament. The way I understand it (and I could be wrong), is the bill was blocked by the House of Lords last time around, but is now being re-submitted in the Commons. The RSPCA`s website seemed to suggest that it was going to be re-submitted on the 26th Nov. (the day of the Queen`s Speech). Maybe it wasn`t mentioned in the Speech because it was not a new bill ?

JohnF

GW6UFO is QRT at the moment