coutryside march

[tracymort]

Sorry if i sound thick but I don't understand why they are for fox hunting! I agree farmers should have more support but why spoil the march with support for hunting. They all say about losing their jobs if hunting was bad but it's their fault they chose a cruel 'sport' around which to base their livelyhood. The fox population would not spiral out of control, nature will deal with that naturally! Who are we to decided a population needs to be controlled anyway?

[andy hughes]

The Countryside March is about the livelyhood of farmers and country dwellers in general, and an aspect of that is the proposed banning of fox hunting. For country people, they see the intended banning of hunting with dogs as a focal point for the interference with their way of life by the government which neither understands their ways, or listens to them when they try to protest. So, although the media has focused on fox hunting - an emotional peg for the public at large - the issues are far wider than that. The country peoples' argument is that the right to hunt is enshrined in history, and it is being threatened by city people who do not understand its place in the overall country enviroment, including farming and care of the countryside as a whole. The debate will go on - watch this space for further comment.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The Countryside Alliance was set up by pro-hunting chinless wonders. The real purpose of it is to retain the right for people to gain enjoyment from killing and maiming animals. It then cleverly embraced a whole host of other (entirely genuine) countryside issues to increase its support. This is not why the countryside alliance exists - it exists to keep fox hunting legal. Fox hunting is a cruel blood sport. It is not, despite what is claimed, about reducing the fox population. The pro lobby say things like 'Ah, but poison is cruel - they die in agony,' and 'shooting doesn't always kill them straight off', our way is best. But, if there was a moment's truth in this, fox hunting would be carried out by ordinary people for minimal wages without pomp and ceremony. You don't see ceremony around Rent-o-kill, do you? It's not about reducing the fox population. It's carried out by packs of marauding toffs, wearing hugely expensive uniforms. Why the champagne? Because it's entertainment for them. The argument breaks down in the face of this. They claim the right to hunt is enshrined in history? Yeah, well so's witch ducking, pal!

[1mrcabbage]

Waldo, I actually agree with you on the fox-hunting issue as I'm sure do many others. Not certain I would have been quite so expressive about it though. I'm a confirmed townie. Always have been, always will be. Always thought country-folk to be a bit strange. But I really can see their point of view. They feel persecuted by people like me and most of the things that this Government have done probably confirm that paranoia. My view these days is let country-folk decide how the country should be run. I wouldn't expect them to come to my city and dictate to me about the errors of my ways (morally, we're probably no better then they are if we're forced to admit it). I'd love to see fox-hunting banned but I now believe that we shouldn't interfere. Call me weak for not standing up for my principles but I'm busy fighting worldwide child poverty right now; the foxes will have to wait!