Hunting and the Culture Wars

Hunting season is a huge event in rural Pennsylvania but the area where I reside is rapidly changing as new housing tracts are developed and an influx of new residents changes the human mix.

There are people who believe that Remington is a typewriter and that Weatherby is a thermometer or device for predicting climate change. Meanwhile, an older and long established population sees their forests being cut down and replaced with shopping centers and houses filled with kids who can make no connection between barnyard cows with milk nor free-ranging chickens with eggs. The poor local newspaper tries unsuccessfully to serve both populations but the online forums they provide to air public sentiment become fields of fire where participants hurl insults at one another.

Responding to a complaint from one disgruntled forum reader that “…not everyone wants to see photos of the murdered corpses of beautiful animals on the front page of their newspaper…” a forum reader sums it up this way for the pro-hunting crowd:

“You live in the wrong area then. Your beliefs and view on life are different than many people's here. Please go away. In as little as a few generations ago, this would help feed a family plus. None of you care. Nor do you care about the beef cattle or chickens. Technology makes 1/2 of modern day man unfit for nature. I will hail the day when electricity goes down.”

That was one of the more polite exchanges. Instead of acquiring a better understanding of other points of view, the expressions of opinion are oftentimes uncomfortable, occasionally menacing:

“Relax Ronnie(not his real name), be careful next week and please do not walk into the woods without wearing orange, we don't want to lose you.”

So it goes in the culture wars. What's your opinion? There's a comments section at the end...just click on it and speak your mind.