Hunts gather for last tally-ho

[nightowl6261a]

Blood sports enthusiasts gathered in their hundreds today to support the last legal foxhunts in Britain. Drizzle swept across the Wiltshire village of Hullavington as the Duke of Beaufort's Hunt gathered at 10.45am for the final pre-ban chase of its 300-year history. Dressed in a blue blazer and sipping from a goblet of port prior to the start of the hunt, Henry Jodrell, 37, from nearby Easton Grey, was out on horseback. "We have sent out troops to Iraq to fight for democracy but we do not seem to have achieved that here in Britain," he said. The Hunting Act, which outlaws foxhunting, deerhunting and hare coursing with dogs, comes into force tomorrow. Three senior judges headed by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, rejected a legal challenge to the ban in the court of appeal yesterday. The judges ruled that the 1949 Parliament Act, which MPs used to force through the Hunting Act in the face of opposition from the House of Lords, was a valid piece of legislation. Hunt supporters have vowed to exploit loopholes in the ban and in some cases to continue hunting in defiance of it. As 50 horses and up to 100 people on foot gathered near Ashford for the 11am start of the East Kent Hunt, the red-clad master of foxhounds, Nigel Fisher, told the crowd the 200-year-old hunt's normal activities had merely been suspended "temporarily" until the legislation was repealed. "It's the end of an era and the start of another. We're expecting a huge turnout on Saturday," he said. The hunt then set off across the fields with horns sounding and hounds barking. Hunt saboteurs could be heard shouting in a bid to disorientate the animals and allow any foxes to escape. Nick Onslow, a spokesman for the hunt, said it would be meeting again on Saturday, but had no intention of breaking the law. The rural affairs minister, Alun Michael, said he was heartened that hunts were talking about operating within the law, which allows the hunting of wild mammals as long as it is not done with dogs. "That means doing all that is traditionally associated with hunting from the stirrup cup to red coats to enjoying a day in the fresh air," he said. "[It] should cause problems for no one as long as they don't use their dogs to hunt a wild mammal. "For now on, if people set out to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, whether it be a fox, a mink, a hare or a deer, they will be breaking the law. It will then be up to the police to investigate and to gather evidence for a prosecution.

 

[globetrotter]

this is about wild mammals, right? so if they wanted to hunt a cat, that would be legal? I don't see the problem, just swing by the animal shelter on the way out of town and you're all set.

 

[ken]

This legislation makes such little sense. Dogs have been bred and selected for thousands of years, foremost, for their ability to aid in hunting wild animals. They're not only doing an injustice to human hunters, but the dogs will feel what we humans feel when we can't ********; these dogs have an innate drive to hunt. From what little I know of the new law, I'll say it's pathetic.

 

[nightowl6261a]

This legislation makes such little sense. Dogs have been bred and selected for thousands of years, foremost, for their ability to aid in hunting wild animals. They're not only doing an injustice to human hunters, but the dogs will feel what we humans feel when we can't ********; these dogs have an innate drive to hunt. From what little I know of the new law, I'll say it's pathetic.

I could not agree more, and think of the eventual over population of fox in the wild, leading to more fox in the hen house problems, then as the populous continue to grow, the wild will become rabid, bite small children, and before you know it a plague will be set on England, all because they stopped the hunting, a tradition I might add for hundreds of years.

 

[Fabienne]

Change from red coats to dark green ones, cross the channel, do your hunting, then have better food and dark nectars. I see great business opportunity for my uncle in Burgundy.

 

[ViroBono]

This legislation was passed to appease Labour backbenchers (and secure the soapdodger vote, presumably). It is an incredibly badly drafted law, which is why the Lords threw it out, and why Tony Bliar resorted to little used legislation to push it through.

It will be extremely difficult to enforce, and the police will probably accord it the priority it deserves, i.e. none. If they try to enforce it, they will open a Pandora's box and they will have to explain why they always feel unable to do anything about illegal raves, illegal hare-coursing, poaching, farm thefts and so on, not to mention rising crime and falling detection rates everywhere.

Hopefully we will have an election soon, and Bliar the Grand Charlatan will be voted out.

 

[Fabienne]

This legislation was passed to appease Labour backbenchers (and secure the soapdodger vote, presumably).  It is an incredibly badly drafted law, which is why the Lords threw it out, and why Tony Bliar resorted to little used legislation to push it through.

It will be extremely difficult to enforce, and the police will probably accord it the priority it deserves, i.e. none.  If they try to enforce it, they will open a Pandora's box and they will have to explain why they always feel unable to do anything about illegal raves, illegal hare-coursing, poaching, farm thefts and so on, not to mention rising crime and falling detection rates everywhere.

Hopefully we will have an election soon, and Bliar the Grand Charlatan will be voted out.

Gosh, when you hate someone, you surely remain focused...

 

[ViroBono]

Gosh, when you hate someone, you surely remain focused...

Indeed. I wish Bliar were twins, so I could hate him twice as much.

 

[Nonk]

Change from red coats to dark green ones, cross the channel, do your hunting, then have better food and dark nectars.

I see great business opportunity for my uncle in Burgundy.

This could also easily refer to Northern Ireland (where it remains legal), especially the better food and dark nectars.

 

[MPS]

Hopefully we will have an election soon, and Bliar the Grand Charlatan will be voted out.

That's not going to happen at the next election. Who else do we have to choose?

 

[ViroBono]

That's not going to happen at the next election. Who else do we have to choose?

Alas, I fear you may be right, but it's nice to dream...

 

[Horace]

Quote:

(ViroBono @ Feb. 18 2005,08:42) Hopefully we will have an election soon, and Bliar the Grand Charlatan will be voted out.
That's not going to happen at the next election. Who else do we have to choose?
Blair may be a lot of things, but I don't think he's a charlatan. Like Bush, his motives are clear and he's pretty forthright with what he is. I think both men's actions are utterly predictable.

 

[nightowl6261a]

Blair may be a lot of things, but I don't think he's a charlatan.  Like Bush, his motives are clear and he's pretty forthright with what he is.  I think both men's actions are utterly predictable.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing for the UK? I am trying to discern the comment as to your stance pro or anti-Blair.

 

[ViroBono]

Like Bush

Precisely. Bliar is so far up the chimp's backside only the soles of his feet show. Far from being forthright, he's about as devious as they come (he is a lawyer, after all). Bliar has failed to deliver on most of his pre-election manifesto, with the notable exception of the dismal hunting ban. It doesn't surprise me, and I didn't vote for him, but he has let down the sheep who support Labour just as much as everyone else. Taxes have increased significantly, as has public spending and borrowing. He has led us into a war on the basis of a lie. He has significantly failed the armed forces. He has overseen rises in the rate of violent and other crime. His policy on terrorism is entirely duplicitous - he claims to be part of the war on terror whilst shamelessly appeasing terrorists in Northern Ireland. He has failed to deal with the problems which resulted from his weak stance on immigration. He has failed to deal properly with dishonest Ministers. Much of his personal behaviour has been suspect - freeloading holidays, patronage of donors to his party and inappropriate use of military aircraft. His wife has inappropriately capitalised on his position, bringing it into disrepute with her association with conmen and profiteering. He is about as genuine as a Chinese Rolex. Charlatan? Absolutely. And a cheat, conman and other things beginning with c, too.

 

[nightowl6261a]

Well, I will not get into a debate of something I do not know about or wish to....however as to the war thought, after spending a quaint New Years last year in the UK with some friends from the Mid-Lands, we arrived in London, and seeing the protests against the US as well as Blair, I was quite content to come home to our protesters. Lies or not, something had to be done for the sake of humanity for the Kurrdish and all of the other persecuted individuals of Iraq. It still simply amazes me that we, America, are still considered in our infancy in terms of years considered, but yet we are damned for trying to help protect the world from danger, and damned even more for asking that some of the more powerful free nations align with us. What is so ironic is this, it was not too many centuries ago that the same countries appealing to the US to leave Iraq, were the conquering nations of the world. Doing their best to expand their borders, interests,  ideals, standards, and religions on unsuspectiing "enemies" of different cultures. Yet, when America tries to rid the world of a dangerous regime, we are accused of oil bartering for our own interest. Well if my recollection of history is correct, was that not the whole point of for instance, the West Indies Trade Agreements, and some other well known excursions by other countries. Damn the world for blaming America for it's own foolish head turning to the world's problems. We as a country have never invaded and occupied a country and called its borders home. Unlike many of the other powerful nations whos people have opposed this war against evil and tyranny.