Fox Hunting in the UK

[Serconea]

This is the current hot political issue in my country and some views from abroad, especially Americans would be interesting.

Relevant news story:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3656524.stm

[Tierra de Madre]

Well.... I'm from Australia. Sorta makes my view a little biased coz I'm kinda pissed off at the stupid settlers who introduced foxes here and in Tasmania. I've had a lot of pets killed by foxes - they prosper not only in the country but in the city as well, as well as so many of our native species becoming extinct as a result of this new introduced carnivore. So yeah, I'd say go for it in Australia.... however foxes as a species I admire. So in the UK.... well I'm probably against it. The only problem with my opinion I came up against after reading a book seen through a foxes' eyes (foxspell), which pointed out correctly that it's kinda unfair to blame the Australian foxes for living here, as they didn't introduce themselves. But anyway....

[RichfieldMN]

'A resounding Yes to bannning fox hunting in the UK, from a Brit in the US ... and also a resounding yes to throwing the book at the morons who invaded parliament and caused a security scare.

I want to know which MP let them in the secure area....

[Sheynat]

Are you talking like, chasing them with horses and dogs? That's unfair. Now, just one guy against a fox; well, there are perfectly legitimate reasons to kill the fox. I'm against hunting strictly for pleasure, but I hold no objection to killing livestock killers or killing for food. So I guess I'm for one-guy-versus-fox with a lisence.

[TheSensitiveNewAge]

Foxes are hard to catch, if I recall correctly, foxes are rarely caught. The point of the fox chase is more to ride a horse with others and a pack of dogs. Also, wouldn't a wolf nab a fox, so whay are dogs any different?

[Tierra de Madre]

And fox hunting with hounds is probably a method that is much less cruel than trapping, in which the fox will slowly starve to death or else chew off it's paw and be permanently a crippple, or poisoning, which is obviously quite painful. Both methods can end up with the wrong victims - dogs and other animals etc, whereas fox hunting usually only results in foxes being caught, not other animals... I think...?

[Serconea]

The government proposal is banning fox hunting with dogs, hare coursing and stag hunting. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear.

The thinking is they got in with a forged letter and an MP's employee showed them to the committee corridor. Apparently they did a dummy run.

The Daily Mail (right-wing paper in my country) described yesterday's events as 'Civil War' and Fox Hunting as Blair's poll tax.

[Henneth annun]

I think if you can eat it, you can hunt it. With a lisence, of course.

[Tierra de Madre]

Ummm... well hares and deer taste fine, but foxes are grotty. At least supposedly... never tasted it myself. Although that may just be a matter of opinion...

[RichfieldMN]

I wonder what a lot of these "huntspeople" were doing during the miner's strike - most probably egging on the police to ride down the miners ...

Now they state an illegal invasion of the house of commons and think they should get away with it scot free - they cause a violent deomonstration outside the commons and also think this is fine ...

And the press (right wing) think it is fun stuff and compare it to the poll tax which was a different kettle of fish altogether -

Killing foxes for pleasure is imoral, and these tally ho red jacketed people should be chased by a gang of people on horses and see how they like it ....

[Alfonia]

They want to do WHAT now?!
I do not support this ban.

[Iyandan]

The Last leader of a european country to ban fox hunting was..

Adolf Hitler.

That says a lot about the current state of affairs in this country.