Some reasons for why hunting should not be banned in the UK
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Here are some reasons why I think the banning of fox hunting is a bad
idea. There are reasons for endorsing the ban but weighing this against
the following views, I am still anti-ban.

- The gravity of law

Laws are passed so often that it is easy to forget what they mean for
us. A law *regulates an entire nations behaviour*, amongst other things.
It means with each law passed we are further restricting what we can and
cannot do. Also, do not forget that we are expected to *know* every law
that we pass since ignorance is no defence, yet we still churn out
statute after statute, adding extra bonds to a self made straightjacket.
It is because of this that I believe that laws should be passed only
when *vitally necessary* and I don't believe that in this case a ban
really is.

- A way of life vs. a fad

A huntsman will more than likely have come from a family of huntsmen. He
or she will have likely prepared for days for the upcoming hunt and will
talk about for days after. It is a way of life.

Surveys have doubtless shown that the majority are against fox hunting.
Asking why, most peple will say something along the lines of `because
killing is wrong'. However this cannot be a strongly held belief when
you consider the vast majority of the population are meat-eaters. I do
not believe it is fair to put a stop to a long tradition and way of life
on the half held belief of the majority.

- The foundations of a passionless society

It strikes me that modern trend is towards a safe, entirely non-violent,
non-competetive society and the ban as another step along this path. I
cannot help thinking that some time in the future we we are going to be
yearning for the days when there was at least a little controversy in
the world.

- A victim of the media

Lets face it, foxes make a mess when killed by a pack of hounds. The
media loves to show you the carcass of some poor fox who did not manage
to get away. But the end is result is the same: the fox has been killed
for someones pleasure. Lets take another example though: the consumption
of oysters. No-one can claim that they eat oysters for nutritional
value, therefore these too die merely for the pleasure of their
`murderers' yet do the media and animal rights groups make a big thing
of this? No. This is because they do not make a bloody mess.
It brings into question whether it really is about 'animal rights'.

- Inhumane?

Fox hunting is often branded barbaric and inhumane. If fox hunting is
about pest control then many animal rights groups cite other ways for
killing the foxes in a more methodical and 'painless' way. However, the
upshot is still the same, the fox dies. If I were a fox, I would prefer
the chance to escape rather than simply being killed mechanically and
methodically.