I WAS very disappointed to read your Friday front page which stated below a picture of a hunt and the hounds that 90 per cent of Scots support a complete ban on foxhunting ("'Foxing' day", The Herald, December 27).
Surely one should expect unbiased journalism from The Herald. It is surely incumbent upon any report to state who commissioned a poll? In this case it was the League Against Cruel Sports (LASC) which commissioned the poll, so it was hardly surprising that it got the figures it wanted. However not even LASC, which has a history of manipulating evidence to create a false image of foxhunting claimed opposition was at 90 per cent, yet this was stated on the front page.
To provide some historical context, foxhunting with hounds developed because it was the most efficient method of flushing foxes out of cover. This was essential because a fox which is predating on farm livestock will not just kill one chicken but will rather slaughter every living creature within a building. I have witnessed the decimation after a fox has gained access and it is a sight you don't forget. We all approve of free-range animals and birds yet the only way to protect stock is to keep them permanently in sheds and even that is not always foolproof. To suggest a man with a gun can control foxes is fantasy put about by those who have never tried the task.
People have an Enid Blytonesque concept of foxes to the extent that I am certain many people think of them as lovable little scamps which probably wear waistcoats and speak English. I wonder if they would feel the same if they saw a fox attacking their pet, which is something I have witnessed. Would they be so willing then to support the ban?
However, let us be honest. The vast majority of respondents to a poll like this know virtually nothing about what happens in the country and accept LACS's propaganda as fact. The real motivation is a long-outdated class war which has nothing to do with animal welfare. If it really was about the foxes they would be attacking charities like RSPB who cull vermin including foxes on their reserves.
I have never hunted yet I understand the necessity of it in controlling vermin efficiently.
David Stubley, Prestwick.
I WAS pleased to read that Alison Johnstone, a Green MSP, plans to introduce legislation to the Scottish Parliament that will seek to protect foxes from being hunted with dogs. (“Private bill aims to outlaw barbaric practice of fox hunting once and for all”, The Herald, December 26). Although fox hunting with dogs was banned in Scotland in 2002 it is clear that the majority of those who indulge in such immoral and vile pursuits continue to treat the current legislation with utter derision. Those antediluvian individuals and groups who defend fox hunting, including our Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, will repeat the usual tired arguments for this and other blood sports, despite the vast majority of Scots finding it repugnant.
Like bullfighting, fox hunting represents cruelty to animals to entertain or provide self-gratification for the participants. It may masquerade as pest control or to provide a sprinkling of countryside jobs nationally but in reality it is an unethical practice which has no place in any modern society.
Oscar Wilde's description of fox hunting as the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable is just as relevant today as it was when he penned it during the 19th century. I hope Ms Johnstone is correct when she states that we will “finally outlaw this barbaric practice once and for all” in the very near future.
Owen Kelly, Stirling.
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