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RE: A comment on hunting



Robert Sargent commented:
<quote>
With all due respect Sir or Madam, one of the great things about the United 
States is that we have NO nobility and that anyone can hunt if they abide by

the laws of the land.  It seems unlikely that you have visited any of our 
Wildlife Refuges in the US and witnessed the abundance of wildlife that does

indeed find refuge there.  Managed hunting and the monies derived from such 
activities are critical to the balance of wildlife as well as funding of 
conservation efforts.  This is a great nation that allows freedom of speech 
and the expression of differing opinions.  From your note, I suspect that
you 
love Europe and would be miserable in our country.  I must also note that I 
know of no great exodus of anti-hunters fleeing the US for Europe. 
</quote>
My question was purely a matter of linguistics! I don't really care what you
do in your NWR, I just wondered why you would call them REFUGES. My
dictionary gives: hiding place, safe haven. That seems contradictory to me.
Why not call them Wildlife Management Areas?
Anyway, I have been in the US and I love the wide open space of the US! I
studied for a year in North Carolina, during which year I did some
travelling in the south eastern states. I have been back twice, including
this year for some amazing birding. I have American friends that hunt, and I
have American friends that don't hunt. If I had grown up in the US I may
have become a hunter myself. However, I grew up in a country which doesn't
have the space nor the wildlife to support mass hunting. 
So I may have a different opinion of hunting, but I can see things in
perspective. Yes, I am probably Eurocentric, and yes, you are probably
US-centric. Does it matter? Not to me, as long as we can respect each other.
However, after the somewhat silly remarks, being a true Southern gentleman,
mr. Sargent gracefully added
<quote>
If you get the opportunity to visit the southeastern part of the United 
States this winter, I will be delighted to personally lead you on a tour of 
our Wildlife Refuges and offer you a different prospective.
</quote>
For which I thank him.

cheers,
Jan-Joost
***********************************
Jan-Joost Bouwman
Zeist, The Netherlands
mailto:Jan-Joost.Bouwman@comsys.nl 
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