Posted on 08/16/2008 2:25:07 AM PDT by Stoat
So it was with some cynicism and not a little trepidation that I agreed to take part in the Glorious Twelfth last Tuesday, the traditional start of the shooting season, on a moor on the Durham/ Northumberland border.
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It was then that I got it. This was as much about friendship as it was about sport. It was like a pub with no building and no beer, a gathering of family and friends, rich and poor. It was something most of we townies have lost. It was a community.
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(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Wild in the country: Amanda Platell sets off in search of her first grouse
Traditional image: The tweed and Tam O'Shanter brigade still shoot, but they are not the majority
Capercaillie: The original 'famous grouse' whose numbers are now in decline
Thanks, Stoat. Articles like this are invaluable—they reach out to ordinary people who have been over-influenced by PETA and have been raised to believe that hunting of any sort is cruel and nasty. In the UK, of course, the attack on field sports is part of a Marxist war on traditional values and the English character. Here it is less advanced, but there are powerful forces moving to regulate and ultimately eliminate hunting. We need more articles like this in the US to help make people realize that even if they don’t hunt, hunting and shooting are okay and in fact play an important role in wildlife control.
Thank you for your kind words and I’m delighted that you’ve found it to be worthwhile :-)
Agreed on all your points, which are quite well-stated.
I think it’s also particularly valuable having been written by a lady, as it will reach the exact audience you want to with this sort of viewpoint....the demographic whose eyes will glaze over and skip to another article about Oprah instead of reading something like this particularly if it’s written by a man, who is typically more associated with shooting sports.
I’d much rather read about guns than Oprah. In fact, yet another yawner article about Oprah is what would make my eyes glaze over, and I’d skip to another article about guns.
I guess I’m not a “typical” woman.
Thank goodness for that :-)
There are a fair number with similarly healthy perspectives here at Free Republic, and I wish that the media would reflect the views of people such as yourself far more so than they do.
Amanda Platell: NOT GUILTY!
I was once asked, what good is hunting?
My answer was I can tell a man’s character by the way he hunts.
Here it is less advanced, but there are powerful forces moving to regulate and ultimately eliminate hunting. “
It is less advanced only because pro-gun voters VOTE on the issue and have neutered the anti-gun mentality in Congress.
But be very aware, if the Democrats could take away our gun rights and get away with it ... THEY WOULD.
They are like looters in a town. If you bar the windows and lock the doors, they move on. If you leave a door or window open, expect to get robbed blind.
No, I’m sorry, she took to the Moops. The Moops.
Living in cities narrows one's horizons. Up there I felt I could see for ever.
We had a lady sit down with us for lunch during our IDPA shooting match today. It was a few minutes before I learned she wasn’t there to compete. She is a reporter for the local newspaper.
She first explained her credentials as a CCW holder and one who at the moment had a gun in her car. It was a little easier after that.
I told her first off that we were the good guys and that competitive shooting was safer than any sport she could name since there have been only two recorded deaths from competitions. She didn’t quite believe that until everyone nodded in agreement.
I think it came off rather well since we had a lot of women competing and even young girls who weren’t old enough to compete were handling the computerized scoring in the office.
It might be interesting if the article is printed and I can post the thread.
The mere fact that she is able to admit that her preconceptions were wrong and give opposing perspectives an honest hearing places her miles above so many other so-called 'journalists'. Her honesty and integrity are quite rare in her profession these days.
That's a nice picture, and a great-looking location.....the sort of place that whispers "I've got dinner hiding among my bushes here, just come and find it" :-)
My answer was I can tell a man’s character by the way he hunts.
Agreed, and it's a wonderful skill to be able to utilize when either the need or the mood suits you.
She will undoubtedly be a fine addition to the band....they obviously need a lot of work and I'm sure that she will set them on the right path :-)
She obviously learned a lot on her shooting trip. Many people go through their whole lives without learning the things she did in one splendid day.
It does indeed sound like quite an interesting day! If it does indeed get printed, please feel free to post a link at this thread as well....I'm sure that anyone interested in reading this thread would be interested in yours as well :-)
I'm the guy in the middle.
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