For most of us, in 2013, it’s hard to believe that anyone can derive pleasure from watching a pack of dogs savage a wild animal. Yet the reality is that Boxing Day will see hordes of men, and women too, on horseback doing just that. The brutal ‘sport’ of fox hunting continues to have adherents today, and, though since 2004 it has been illegal, by the end of today, the 26th December, many beautiful and innocent animals will have met their death in this barbaric manner. Membership of the Hunts is actually growing, and of course many people join just to have a brisk ride in the countryside on a Winter’s morning, in a legal and humane drag hunt, in which no animals are torn apart. But it’s estimated that, of the 300 hunt organisations in Britain, about 60 of them are still blood hunts, illegally, mercilessly, pursuing foxes to their pitiful deaths. And are they brought to justice ? Of course not, because we have a Government which supports fox hunting, along with all the other vile blood sports that were outlawed by the Hunting Act, 10 years ago. (We, Save-Me, tried to warn you !! )
Yes, our country is ruled by a bunch of fox hunting traditionalists, many in the Government itself, and many in the NFU – scandalously, the only commercial union that a British Government is obliged to consult. And boy, do they consult !
Yes, you will find in the quotes of David Cameron, Owen Paterson, and officials of the NFU, approval of the sport of fox hunting … and it is of course no coincidence that these are the very people who are clinging to a policy of killing Badgers when it’s been shown beyond doubt that this is not in any sense justified by claims that it will eradicate bovine TB. It’s astonishingly similar to the bogus claims that fox hunting is necessary for the ‘control’ of foxes, when it’s well-known that the Hunts actually encourage the breeding of foxes so they can continue their sadistic games.
So, in 2014, this is what we will be fighting – the small but powerful pro-cull, pro-hunting, pro-cruelty community, who will be attempting to hang on to their supposed traditional rights to ride roughshod over any man or beast that gets in their way.
Let’s be vigilant, and make 2014 the year when the decent people of this country took back their power – power to make Britain a country which proudly protects the rights of the poor and the sick, and those beings that have no voice of their own … children and animals.
Is it an impossible dream ? Only you can decide.
Brian May.
See also:
DAILY MAIL
Hold vote on hunting ban or we’ll desert you, Tories told: Supporters’ threat to party as 250,000 join traditional Boxing Day events across the country
– parading young, innocent children to prove a groundswell in Hunt support.
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