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It is rare to see such a load of rubbish as was written by Mr Lino Farrugia in defence of hunting (For & Against, Sunday 5 March).
First of all, to refer to hunting as satisfying a “basic instinct” is complete nonsense. Our sole basic instincts are self preservation and sex. Self preservation is no problem nowadays as we are all reasonably well off and (apart from war) our existence might only be threatened mildly from time to time as when we cross a road which has no pedestrian crossing. With food readily available everywhere, hunting is nowadays no more a question of satisfying a “basic instinct” than shopping at the local supermarket armed with a shopping trolley. If we really had to yield to our basic instincts with the same abandon as suggested by Mr Farrugia we would all be copulating in the streets – but certainly not shooting our fellow creatures for the fun of it since we have plenty to eat.
If Mr Farrugia thinks that “we” (by which he presumably means humanity in general) are the “ultimate predators”, let him speak for himself and not include people in general who have long ceased to be predatory and who find the “sport” of hunting abhorrent. Neither are children natural born killers as Mr Farrugia implies. Of course most of us grown-ups took the occasional pot-shot at a bird (or a cat or even their grandmother) with a catapult, pop gun or even worse some time or another in our childhood. This is done out of pure mischief and certainly not basic instinct, as suggested by Mr Farrugia.
So please spare us all the sloppy, insane nonsense about “channelling of these (basic) instincts” in our children.
Mr Farrugia tells us that “taking a wild animal on its own turf” is “the greatest challenge on earth”. Challenge? When the hunter is armed with a deadly weapon probably capable of killing an elephant? When the hunter is chasing exhausted, low flying migrating birds in a high speed boat? This abominable uneven combat does not deserve to be referred to as a “sport”. Besides, it takes just as much, or more, cunning, slyness etc., to approach an animal “on its own turf” and take a good photograph than to shoot it. If it is a big animal it takes a good deal of courage too.
As to the litany of wonderful things hunters do when out hunting (watching the sun rise etc) all this can be done equally without the necessity of slaughtering a harmless animal with a firearm. More often than not, the enjoyment of others who enjoy the countryside for the reasons enumerated by Mr Farrugia is ruined by the noise of hunters shooting in the vicinity seeking “new sensations” with their next kill – or being impeded from walking where they wish by threats from aggressive hunters.
So, Mr Farrugia keep your gloating to yourself. If you enjoy killing animals just for fun, get on with it as long as it is legal without making the rest of us sick.
George Debono
St Julians
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