General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why is hunting so sacred? [View all]meadowlander
(4,395 posts)The answer is because it gives food insecure people a feeling of security. And their lives are already hard enough.
Yes, in some parallel universe where all government was Democratic and we sat down and decided to dedicate resources to making sure nobody goes hungry in the country, we could theoretically feed everyone. But we don't. And its not going to happen any time in the foreseeable future. We can't even agree that basic health care is a human right.
Hungry kids are not going to wait for government to get its act together. And having the feeling that, no matter what shit hits the fan, you can still go out and feed your kids something is what drives the attachment to hunting with guns. That is the mindset that you are up against.
Do you think someone clueless enough to make a statement like "there are grocery stores on every corner" coming in and saying "You're an idiot. You can live on field greens like my dad during the Depression" is going to change that mindset or convince that person to vote for your party?
Why not use a crossbow? Because it is harder. And when your kids' survival is at stake, you use every advantage you can get.
I also support food assistance. Let's do it. But in the meantime, let people provide for themselves. You don't need to take hunting rifles to stop school shootings. Start with the low hanging fruit - assault rifles and handguns. Address food insecurity. Then you have a foundation on which you could potentially make a case for restricting hunting.