Fox Hunting

[Minnie]

I voted in support of the ban for the same reasons as have already been stated.

[Stryder]

I voted ban it

[simon]

That's a pretty big pigeon hole. Why lump the two terms together?

You're right. I missed out the commas. It should have been a clause.

[P.K.]

Fox hunting, by contrast, just seems rather crappy to me. As Oscar Wilde said, ..... etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah yes. "The unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable"

 

[irony] I just wish that London's Finest had set their dogs on them [/irony]

 

However do not believe for one second any of their BS arguements like the one about how "a fox will kill all in a chicken coop". Well here's an idea to get hold of. Why not let the chickens roost in the trees where they belong? "It's an effective way of controlling the fox population". No it isn't. Frequently a fox will escape down a hole and then a chap on a quad bike comes up and sends his terrier down the hole so it can flush out the terrified fox into the waiting hounds so all the "hunters" standing around can watch it being torn to pieces. The hounds are all killed at two years of age. What a truly awful "sport".

 

Too many foxes and the rabbit population crashes. Then the fox population crashes. Then the rabbits recover. Then the fox recovers. That's where the expression "Ups and Downs" comes from.

 

Oh and it's not an attack on democracy or a spiteful attack on the landed gentry. It was in the Labour Manifesto. So actually it is democracy in action. At least it will be worth a few good laughs as the likes of the appalling Daily Mail try to convince their readers that the "countryside" is under threat from the Labour Government.

 

The unspeakable etc etc.

[Jay]

I realise that the ban formed a part of labours manifesto, but I reckon there are far more serious issues the government should concetrate on.

The troubled NHS, an influx of 'asylum seekers', the deployment of troops in Iraq for reasons no one seems certain of, OAPs dying of hyperthermia, child abuse, crime rates........I'm sure people can think of lots more.

OK. So foxhunting isn't very appealing to lots of us for whatever reason, but it should be lower priority on the list of things to do.

I voted don't care. At least I don't care about it nearly as much as other things.

[Declan]

Yeah, but that is part of the reason that Labour's credibility is dropping. It was in their manifestoes of 1997 and 2001, they have throughout that time had a huge majority of M.P.'s, and there is vast support for the ban in the country.

 

I lived in England in 1997 and I voted Labour partly, because I thought they'd live up to their promises* (and with little to choose between the parties on the main issues I thought they'd generally do the right thing on the smaller ones). Now here is a relitively easy thing for them to do, (compared to improving education and health; managing the economy; or avoiding stupid wars) BUT they've taken seven years to do it (and 9 until the ban takes effect).

 

It has become symbolic because if they can't even do this (with all the support in Parliament and the country) how can we trust them on the more complex issues?

[Rog]

I rather like 'Barry Beelzebub’s' latest article on this matter ---

 

Quote ---

 

‘Because as you read this, those bastards in Westminster will be banning hunting with dogs.

 

Now if I honestly thought that their sole reason for doing so was the welfare of the fox, I wouldn't really complain. Old Charlie might be a nasty, evil, greedy mass murderer, but at the end of the day he's one of God's creatures and as such deserves a degree of protection. After all, we let Liberal Democrats live don't we? And they're much worse.

 

But given this nation's current problems - rampant crime, a failing health service, a pitiful education system, non existent public transport and widespread moral bankruptcy - to have a Prime Minister so desperate to cling on to power that he'll provide a sop and valuable Parliamentary time to the rabid class warriors who underpin him is quite, quite obscene.

 

Because that's what this debate is all about. Class. If redundant Yorkshire miners were whiling away their dole-funded hours chasing foxes across t'moors on similarly redundant Blackpool donkeys while wearing threadbare blue boiler suits, no-one would give a toss. But sit a so-called toff wearing a pink jacket on board a £20,000 thoroughbred and the nasty, snidey side of NuLabour's class envy comes to the fore.

 

Why, they ask, should the rich have fun chasing and killing innocent animals? Err … hang on. Have you never heard of members of the formerly working classes pursuing rabbits with ferrets? And what about all those ginger kids on council estates who keep kestrels in the airing cupboard?

 

What do those birds of prey eat? Weetabix and Pot Noodles?

 

And this is where we're going. Let the class warriors ban hunting, and what's next? Shooting is a gonner, obviously, even though the sport (if you want to call it that) keeps thousands of farmers in business and preserves millions of acres of woodland that would otherwise be given over to industrial farming. (And, we'll not mention it though, allows thousands of householders to keep a deadly weapon under the bed for when the gypsy burglars come calling.)

 

Next on the list (and the union members from the bus company who spend Sunday mornings down the Feeder will love this) will be angling. How dare you drag those poor creatures from the water with those barbaric hooks? Have three years in chokey, you brute.

 

And then what? Boxing? Rugby? Synchronised diving? Let's face it. A government that can ban egg and spoon races knows no bounds.

 

But my thoughts are with the man Whittaker. When the time comes, will the animal rights activists be there to help shoot our hounds? These animals can't be re-homed, after all. Imagine an undomesticated foxhound coming across your three year old's guinea pig. It's not going to work, is it?

 

So will Tone and his mates pull the trigger? I doubt it. And neither will I.

The battle of wills starts here. Come on and impose your ban. I await the CCTV cameras erected in forest glades with interest’

 

 

Says it for me.

[When Skies Are Grey]

What a piece of jingoistic journalism!!!

[Guest carter]

Voted yes.

 

There is quite a few hunts around my way, one is held just once a year followed by a Hunt ball.

 

Thier arguement is to rid the countryside of a 'Pest' its hardly going to keep the numbers down mincing out on an old nag once a year.

 

Leave it to the farmers i say, i would find it hard to kill a fox, but if my chickens or sheep were under attack then i would have to protect them.Hopefully a shot across its bows would see the blighter off.

[Rog]

What a piece of jingoistic journalism!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There’s a great many people – myself included – who see this and similar articles from the same sources as being amusing and very tongue in cheek but nonetheless at heart precisely representative of how we see the world.

[matty]

I rather like  'Barry Beelzebub’s'  latest article on this matter ---

 

Quote ---

 

SNIP

Why, they ask, should the rich have fun chasing and killing innocent animals? Err … hang on. Have you never heard of members of the formerly working classes pursuing rabbits with ferrets? And what about all those ginger kids on council estates who keep kestrels in the airing cupboard?

SNIP

 

Says it for me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What a whole pile of crap !!!

 

The journalist has practically no factual basis in this article.

 

I kept ferrets when I was younger, and yes I used them to catch rabbits.

 

Nets are place around the entrances to the warren, and the ferret placed inside.

 

The rabbits bolt from the warren and get caught in the net, where they are dispatched humanely, then skinned, and the carcases eaten, or sold to the butcher (the meat is eaten - not wasted)

 

I've also caught rabbits with lurchers, the dog catches the rabbit and brings it to you unharmed (you can't eat or sell a punctured carcase).

 

How anyone could possibly relate "ferreting" with fox hunting where the fox gets ripped to shreds by a bunch of hounds and the carcase no use whatsover, obviously knows absolutely nothing about the countryside.

 

"Barry Beelzebub" is not in touch with reality, the fox hunting issue is about cruelty - not class.

 

I've personally nothing against people hunting animals if they are going to be eaten, hunting animals and giving them a violent and nasty death, in pursuit of "pleasure" is a medieval and barbaric practise.

 

What about the fox hounds??

 

Well the owners of these dogs shoot them when they are past their hunting prime anyway, so it can hardly be said that they really care about their dogs.

 

As has been said above, if you need to control the fox population, shoot them.

[Dave the Cardboard Box]

Rog tell your mate Barry the following:

 

1. It is about Class - the sooner we get rid of it, public schools, privilege, Fox Hunting the better.

 

2. There is absolutely no chance in the next millennium that shooting and fishing will ever be banned

 

3. The Health Service, Education and Law and Order if they have not actually improved, they certainly, by any measure, have not got worse (but of course Rog and Barry, nothing like the golden age of the 50's and 60's when we were young eh?)

 

4. We need asylum seekers - our white population is mean and pasty faced and our gene pool needs serious improvement from the more intelligent peoples of the world

 

5. The economy has never been better

 

6. The sooner we become fully integrated in a European Federation the better

 

7. The only area Blair has got badly wrong is IRAQ - and for that he should not only be booted out by the people, he should be put on trial for War Crimes.

 

8. Blair is the Ned Flanders of the United Kingdom

[ykstarr]

i voted yes. fox hunting is a disgusting ritual undertaken by a bunch of toffs. we have loads of foxes in canada but you don't see a bunch of rich people dressed up with dogs chasing the crap out of them and ripping them to shreds. its totally a class 'sport' that needs to be banned. i agree with all the rest of the posts that agree with the banning.

[Rog]

Rog tell your mate Barry the following:

 

1. It is about Class - the sooner we get rid of it, public schools, privilege, Fox Hunting the better.

 

If it were not for Public Schools providing a bench mark to show just how God-Awful the state education system is it would probably be even worse. But I do agree with legislation to ban hunting as a sport though I do not agree with banning the use of dogs in the hunting of foxes.

 

The reality is that shooting a fox and getting a clean kill is very difficult and there will be a great many of the things left to die in agony either by having been wounded or even worse as a result of poisoned bait that will also be eaten by any other carnivore that comes across it.

 

2. There is absolutely no chance in the next millennium that shooting and fishing will ever be banned.

Let’s wait and see. You can bet serious money that the bunny-huggers will go after both as soon as they succeed on this present issue.

 

3. The Health Service, Education and Law and Order if they have not actually improved, they certainly, by any measure, have not got worse (but of course Rog and Barry, nothing like the golden age of the 50's and 60's when we were young eh?)

 

Actually the 50’s and 60’s were both better and worse in all respects. Better in that education was vastly superior to that of today. It’s not that kids now work any less it’s that the education was better. More focused on teaching the essentials, more focused on educating rather than teaching, more focused about learning how and not just what.

 

And schools much better disciplined. Step out of line – you get punished either by the cane, detention, or ‘lines’. Sometimes all three.

 

Another example of discipline (very close to home!) get caught with an illegal salmon and a ‘snatch’ – a good back-hander from Sgt. Jim Swindlehurst (and I mean a GOOD back-hander), loss of the fish, and that was it. Tell your mum and you get the same. Far better than being dragged before a juvenile court and all that then follows on.

 

Need to go to the doctors? You just turn up. No waiting for days – you go and wait your turn. Need the doctor to make a house call? He comes.

 

But on the other hand lots of things that have improved. Standard of living – certainly and massively. Quality of living – awful.

 

4. We need asylum seekers - our white population is mean and pasty faced and our gene pool needs serious improvement from the more intelligent peoples of the world

 

We need asylum seekers like we need a hole in the head. Do the sums and look at the REAL cost of importing NuLabour voters – ‘cos that’s what it’s all about, make NO mistake. <Edit by ans to remove unneccesary racist crap>. As regards ‘more intelligent peoples – precisely who had you in mind?

 

5. The economy has never been better

 

The economy is an unmitigated disaster giving the impression of success. It si founded on unprecedented levels of personal debt and unprecedented levels of Government borrowing. It is akin to a family having mortgaged their house to the hilt and beyond and every member having run their 'plastic' to the limit. And believing that they are doing well because of all the things that they have bought.

 

In the near future the effects of running the economy in the manner in which NuLabour has will become clear to the whole country – when the bills come in.

 

6. The sooner we become fully integrated in a European Federation the better

 

Dave, you may find it strange but I don’t have a problem with that. Same level of tax, same level of wages, same social services – in fact parity across the board. I actually think that the IOM would after the inevitable turmoil that would result, benefit greatly by the same course of action. My old Mum used to say “Let’s pay English taxes, and let’s get English wages and conditions”..

 

7. The only area Blair has got badly wrong is IRAQ - and for that he should not only be booted out by the people, he should be put on trial for War Crimes.

 

The only thing that Bleah did that was RIGHT was to support the US. But even that he screwed up by even suggesting to Bush that he should go to the worthless UN.

 

8. Blair is the Ned Flanders of the United Kingdom.

 

No. Even Bleah has considered resigning and with a whole lot less reason.

[ykstarr]

We need asylum seekers like we need a hole in the head. Do the sums and look at the REAL cost of importing NuLabour voters – ‘cos that’s what it’s all about, make NO mistake. <This part of quote removed by ans in original post so removed from here for completeness>  As regards ‘more intelligent peoples – precisely who had you in mind?

 

what a lovely racist pile of crap.