We shouldn't teach our kids that hunting is ok?

monellia · 26-04-2009 06:56PM #1

A thread was brought to my attention recently wherein people were talking openly about letting their children partake in the “sport” of hunting. Pictures of kids with guns, standing with dead animals, really sick stuff... I was shocked upon reading through the thread to find that no one thought there was anything wrong with this. I didn’t want to respond to the thread in case some mod accused me of being off-topic, so I thought I’d make a separate thread to see what people’s views are on this issue.

I just can’t comprehend why people hunt for sport in this day and age. To me, it just seems like the ultimate manifestation of barbarism. It sickens me to think that our seemingly advanced society condones the idea of killing for sport. I can’t see any point in it at all.

It is my view that if you actually get satisfaction or enjoyment out of killing a living thing, then there must be something wrong with you mentally. I think it’s rooted in power issues. Are some people so insecure that they have to prove their power by killing things which are weaker than they?

What kind of example is this to set for our children? Regardless of whether you enjoy hunting or not, surely bringing children into it is crossing the line. Kids are impressionable, and we should teach them to value life...

Hunters, perhaps you can explain the appeal of it to me? Furthermore, would you expose your child to the sport of hunting at such an impressionable age?

Mods, feel free to move this if you feel it’s in the wrong forum. I wasn’t sure where to put it as it is a general enough topic, and I didn’t want to put it in the hunting forum because that’s not a general audience.

Mossy Monk · 26-04-2009 06:57PM

Imagine if we had these discussions in the Stone Age. Where would we be now?

RATM · 26-04-2009 06:59PM

Pfft, I get my kids to hunt each other.

Ciaran500 · 26-04-2009 07:01PM

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Imagine if we had these discussions in the Stone Age. Where would we be now?

We're not in the stone age so why should that come into it at all?

Steve.Pseudonym · 26-04-2009 07:07PM

I don't hunt, but I don't see why you have such a strong opposition to those who do. Hunting deer is not the same as torturing puppies to death. Hunters are not sadists, if they were they would find other, less visible ways to occupy their time.

I eat meat, animals have to die for that meat. I'm every bit as guilty as a hunter.

Frankly you're very judgmental and insulting to people who hunt. Maybe you need to respect other people's right to have a different opinion to you.

Dartz · 26-04-2009 07:07PM

monellia wrote: »

Crusty stuff

People are ****s. Get over it.

Anything that can be done to The Fox, can (and has) been done to a human being. And burying childrens' heads in the sand and trying to deny that fact won't make it go away.

The real world is a horrible place.

I for one enjoy hunting. The screams of little children as the dogs get them... there's something empowering and thrilling in the sound.

5318008! · 26-04-2009 07:09PM

Mossy Monk wrote: »

Imagine if we had these discussions in the Stone Age. Where would we be now?

Steve.Pseudonym wrote: »

I don't hunt, but I don't see why you have such a strong opposition to those who do. Hunting deer is not the same as torturing puppies to death. Hunters are not sadists, if they were they would find other, less visible ways to occupy their time.

I eat meat, animals have to die for that meat. I'm every bit as guilty as a hunter.

Frankly you're very judgmental and insulting to people who hunt. Maybe you need to respect other people's right to have a different opinion to you.

You're both missing the point. There's a massive difference between killing an animal for food and just killing them because you enjoy it.

Steve.Pseudonym · 26-04-2009 07:12PM

5318008! wrote: »

You're both missing the point. There's a massive difference between killing an animal for food and just killing them because you enjoy it.

I don't think the animal would agree with you there.

What is the difference? That a cow should die instead of a deer? Or maybe a pig and some chickens? Hunters eat their deer so I don't see a difference.

galwayrush · 26-04-2009 07:14PM

Catch your own meat, even cheaper than Aldi or Lidl.;)

Mrmoe · 26-04-2009 07:15PM

Hunting is a great sport. People are by nature barbaric. This is not to say that all people are this way all of the time. We are animals too and due to our development over the eons some people including myself enjoy hunting. To assume that people are some kind of demi-gods I think is unrealistic. We might someday outgrow the need to hunt purely by the fact that we no longer need to do it to survive. Now however people are barbaric, visit any A+E unit over the weekend and you will see examples of violence that are just as barbaric .

Twilightning · 26-04-2009 07:17PM

Don't hunt unless you have to.

robinph · 26-04-2009 07:17PM

Don't really see the problem with showing people where meat comes from.

ScumLord · 26-04-2009 07:19PM

Hunting for meat is probably more humane than intensively farming animals for our consumption.

If you don't understand why animals hunt other animals and why they enjoy it, then you should sit yourself down with one of Attenboroughs dvd box sets and let him explain the birds and the bees to you.

monellia · 26-04-2009 07:20PM

Steve.Pseudonym wrote: »

I don't hunt, but I don't see why you have such a strong opposition to those who do. Hunting deer is not the same as torturing puppies to death. Hunters are not sadists, if they were they would find other, less visible ways to occupy their time.

I eat meat, animals have to die for that meat. I'm every bit as guilty as a hunter.

Frankly you're very judgmental and insulting to people who hunt. Maybe you need to respect other people's right to have a different opinion to you.

Eating meat does not raise the same ethical questions as hunting for sport. You'll notice that my post was condemning people who hunt for sport, not people who hunt for food (although being an ethical vegetarian, I am also very much opposed to this. But that's another issue). What I'm taking issue with here is people who shoot animals dead for no reason other than to shoot them dead. This is clearly indicative of a sadistic disposition.

The amount of pain shooting a deer entails is neither here nor there. It's still taking a life, and it's still pointless.

And don't take that old "oh it's just my opinion" attitude either. I'm generally respectful of other people's opinions, and don't see why I shouldn't honestly express my view when I disagree with something, so that I can hear other people's side of the argument.

Steve.Pseudonym · 26-04-2009 07:20PM

Twilightning wrote: »

Don't hunt unless you have to.

Can I just ask you Twilightning, do you eat meat? If you do, why do you think you're any better than someone who hunts?

lucky-colm · 26-04-2009 07:21PM

some people hunt for sport most likely do nothing with the animals that they kill (iam in this group)
some people hunt to protect there livestock and livelyhood
then some kill animals like deer and rabbits for food

one thing is for sure that is if we didn't hunt we would have to many wild animals around like there is with deer and foxes at the moment (due to lack of hunters) they don't provide any threat to humans directly but are a nuicance to farmers breaking fencing killing young lambs and hens and also carry disease from one heard to another

so if youare a farmer there is no harm in teaching your youngsters how to hunt

galwayrush · 26-04-2009 07:22PM

I don't hunt, but i love meat.
I don't have any problem with that.:cool:

g5fd6ow0hseima · 26-04-2009 07:23PM

Its not the physical act of hunting ive got a problem with, its just the ****ing **** who hunt which annoys me.

galwayrush · 26-04-2009 07:24PM

As said above, killing purely for fun is wrong and sadistic.

AckwelFoley · 26-04-2009 07:25PM

People have hunted animals since time and memorial.

Get over it. Your bleeding heart is turning me off my coffee

monellia · 26-04-2009 07:27PM

snyper wrote: »

People have hunted animals since time and memorial

People have evolved beyond the need to hunt animals, since time and memorial.

Genghiz Cohen · 26-04-2009 07:27PM

Some people hunt for sport, others hunt for food.
The only thing I'm hunting for, is a way to stab people across the internet.

dr.bollocko · 26-04-2009 07:29PM

This thread now has poll.

robinph · 26-04-2009 07:30PM

snyper wrote: »

People have hunted animals since time immemorial.

FYP

Steve.Pseudonym · 26-04-2009 07:32PM

monellia wrote: »

Eating meat does not raise the same ethical questions as hunting for sport. You'll notice that my post was condemning people who hunt for sport, not people who hunt for food (although being an ethical vegetarian, I am also very much opposed to this. But that's another issue). What I'm taking issue with here is people who shoot animals dead for no reason other than to shoot them dead. This is clearly indicative of a sadistic disposition.

In your opinion, it is clearly indicative of a sadistic disposition. But you wont find very much evidence to support that. I have no ethical objection to sustainable hunting, i.e. that the animal population is measured and controlled. Endangered species are another matter entirely, but even here it would be a long stretch to suggest that people hunt these animals because they enjoy the idea of them suffering. It is a much larger stretch again to suggest, as you may possibly be implying, that all hunters are cruel and more likely to harm other humans.

And don't take that old "oh it's just my opinion" attitude either. I'm generally respectful of other people's opinions, and don't see why I shouldn't honestly express my view when I disagree with something, so that I can hear other people's side of the argument.

You can have whatever opinion you want, however your opening post still looks deliberately insulting towards hunters, which is my problem with it.

monellia · 26-04-2009 07:32PM

I didn't ask for this to be made into a poll.

lucky-colm · 26-04-2009 07:32PM

galwayrush wrote: »

As said above, killing purely for fun is wrong and sadistic.

well not hunting and giving out about it is like saying "thats terrible whats going on in africa those poor children someone should do something"
and then going to a restauraunt ordering a big meal and leaving a heap of food behind you

Caliden · 26-04-2009 07:33PM

Went hunting for foxes with my uncle before. Have to say I enjoyed myself and can see why people make it a hobby. Would like to go deer hunting some time with a rifle where skill actually plays a part in shooting something
Dont see anything wrong with it to be honest

minidazzler · 26-04-2009 07:33PM

You shoot a Deer and Freeze it, it will feed your family through the Winter. All that for a €1 bullet and a Hunting licence.

But you feel it's OK to pay €5.50 for 1 Kg of Premium beef that was Raised for the sole purpose of Slaughter?

lucky-colm · 26-04-2009 07:34PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

This thread now has poll.

what is ""poll""????

galwayrush · 26-04-2009 07:34PM

Caliden wrote: »

Went hunting for foxes with my uncle before. Have to say I enjoyed myself and can see why people make it a hobby.
Dont see anything wrong with it to be honest

Shooting foxes is way more kinder compared to the fox ripping a baby lamb to pieces.;)

We shouldn't teach our kids that hunting is ok?

Should our kids learn that hunting is OK? 390 votes

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