This morning the Irish Times asks in its news poll if Stag hunting should be banned, this Observer says Yes it should be banned. Last night I was watching Jamie Oliver's Family Christmas and on this great show he had his Gran. His Gran who is 90 in January (happy birthday) was recalling that during the war she would go to the butcher to collect the rationed food for the family. They would get 2 eggs and a piece of Rabbit. On one occassion she dropped one of the eggs on the way home and she was so desperate that she returned to the butcher and told him that the egg had been bad and he gave her one to replace. These were times when desperate things had to be done just to provide for the family, however, the hunting down of an innocent and beautiful Stag for the amusement of a few woolly jumpers is not acceptable.
These animals are reared simply for the blood lust of a few land owners, for people to show off their finery, for the village idiots to have a snifter of brandy before setting their hounds in pursuit of a docile animal. This is cruelty pure and simple, those who use the traditional argument must understand that cruelty can have no tradition in this country, Stag hunting just like the abuse of children in the 'care' of the State is not acceptable and must end forth with.
