Child with gun on poster to promote hunting

[fiamma]

This has made me really angry. Hunting itself makes me angry, but this poor child has no idea what his image is being used for - the killing of animals he probably loves, unless daddy has already brainwashed him into believing they're only good as trophies for hanging on the wall of the lounge... gahhhhh, I wanna scream Aparently there have been protests by die-hard hunters, bringing their kids along with therìm in droves, saying, I started hunting when I was that age
I swear we're heading back to the Middle Ages, especially with the Louis Theroux programme I saw the other night...

Here's the story.

The Italian Hunting Federation (Federcaccia) has used a photograph of a 7/8 year old boy in hunting gear, sitting on a bale of hay, to promote hunting, and to encourage younger people to try the sport.
The aim behind the campaign, says the Federation's president, is to bring younger generations to the sport and stop it dying it.... "The average hunter in Italy is aged 65-78, and it would be tragic if the sport were to be allowed to die out."

The Federation wants the minimum age for a hunting permit to be dropped to 16.

*Sigh* (Click on the link if you want to see the pic, there's nothing graphic).

Source: La Repubblica

[*live*&*let*live]

Yeah, it would be soooo tragic wouldn't it if it died out (useful pun there too)
Average age up to 78! Oh Lord! I don't want to be ageist or anything but that means there are older hunters and they may not have so keen an eye or steady hand.... Well if they sprayed a few pellets into a fellow hunters backside it would serve them right. I'm with you on the anti-gun/anti hunting thing Fi. What programme with Louis? He usually does some good docu's. Is it a recent one?

[DiaShel]

This reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw a couple of times that says "kids who hunt, trap and fish don't mug little old ladies"

[fiamma]

^ Oh my...

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY BE UPSETTING FOR SOME. (I've put it in white, so try highlighting it if you want to read on...)
The Louis Theroux documentary was about some game parks they've opened in South Africa where they breed animals especially for hunting purposes; tourists go there to shoot animals and pay depending on what they kill. Absolutely awful - you should have seen some of the trigger-happy idiots who went there, and as for their wives...

[Sacalis]

I just looked to see what the hunting age in Michigan was and found out they are going to lower it. I can't believe what I found. This makes me sick, they are sending children out with full size guns.

"A new bill has been signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm that will lower the age of hunting big game from 14 to 12, while accompanied by a licensed mentor AND they can only hunt on private property. The same bill lowers the minimum age for hunting small game from 12 to 10."

"Many states across America have no age limit at all and several are at 10 and 8 for big or small game."

"Advocates for lowering the age say that the younger they learn, especially today with all the other “distractions” the more likely they are to take up the sport."

This one takes the cake...

"Also included in the bills signed by Governor Granholm is one that will allow a first-time hunter to bypass the required hunter safety course to give hunting a try."

[Loss]

I just looked to see what the hunting age in Michigan was and found out they are going to lower it. I can't believe what I found. This makes me sick, they are sending children out with full size guns.

"A new bill has been signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm that will lower the age of hunting big game from 14 to 12, while accompanied by a licensed mentor AND they can only hunt on private property. The same bill lowers the minimum age for hunting small game from 12 to 10."

"Many states across America have no age limit at all and several are at 10 and 8 for big or small game."

"Advocates for lowering the age say that the younger they learn, especially today with all the other “distractions” the more likely they are to take up the sport."

This one takes the cake...

"Also included in the bills signed by Governor Granholm is one that will allow a first-time hunter to bypass the required hunter safety course to give hunting a try."

Are they stupid or what? 10? Gosh...

Thankfully, as the article Fiamma posted says, hunters are all very old here. My family has been waiting for years for them to die out I know it sounds cruel, but we hate them so much. Those bastards often even hit our house when they shoot - they even killed our cat many years ago. And those poor pheasants - they are bred in captivity and then released for the only purpose of being hunted, but they're obviously completely lacking in survival instinct I mean, what's the glory in shooting them? Why do hunters feel so manly for it? It's not like you're killing lions with your bare hands, hell, you're shooting a defenceless chicken.