Christina Fayers SCM
Should Fox hunting be banned?
Fox hunting dates from the late 17th century, when it arose as a practical method of limiting the fox population which endangered poultry farming, but by the early 19th century it was indulged in as a sport by the British aristocracy and gentry who made it traditional. Foxhunting was introduced into the USA by early settlers from England and continues in the southern and middle Atlantic regions. The recognized fox hunting season runs from the first Monday in November until the following April. Fox hunting is the pursuit of a fox across country on horseback, aided by a pack of foxhounds specially trained to track the fox's scent. The aim is to catch and kill the fox. Fox hunting has met with increasing opposition. Although fox hunting is by no means the only issue annoying people from the countryside, it is one of the bigger issues. Fox hunting with hounds is a tradition in the English and Scottish countryside, which has been going for centuries. That’s why countrymen and women were up in arms the minute they caught a sniff of the government’s intention to debate a possible banning of the sport. Animal- rights activists condemn it as involving excessive cruelty, and in Britain groups of hunt saboteurs disrupt it. Animal rights activists have had just about enough of the activity they call ‘blood sport’ and are horrified that it is still going on in our countryside in this day and age. Many Bills have been taken into consideration for banning hunting with hounds since 1949. The Prime Minister Tony Blair has long proclaimed that he is against hunting with dogs. In 1999 he promised to ban it, and since then he has introduced legislation that will end hunting. Although MPs in the House of Commons support the move, it also needs to be supported by the House of Lords, the un-elected second chamber of the British Parliament. But it is thought that the Lords are very much in favour of allowing hunting to continue. On the 30th of June 2003, in the House of Commons MPs vote 362 to 154 for a total ban on hunting with hounds. The government had tried to push through an amended Bill that proposed a regulatory system, but withdrew this towards the end of the debate. Instead a backbench amendment effectively banning hunting with hounds was agreed. The Bill has been re-committed to Standing Committee and must still be debated in the House of Lords. This must be done quickly, because there is very little time before recess. If the Lords reject it as expected, the Government will probably force the Bill through by invoking the Parliamentary Acts. This in itself requires at least a month of parliamentary time. The issue of fox hunting and whether it should be banned or not, has been a subject of conversation for a long time. There are a number of strong matters, which can be discussed about fox hunting: the reasons why people are ‘for’ and ‘against’ hunting are very important. To understand the complexities of the issues you must hear arguments from both sides of the fence.
