Posted on 02/26/2010 2:54:37 PM PST by SJackson
PETA is calling on the Boy Scouts of America to retire its "Fishing" and "Fish and Wildlife Management" merit badges (to read PETA's letter to Milton H. Ward, president of the Boy Scouts of America, click here). Fishing is no longer considered a benign activity. It is hunting in the water, and the idea of a scout armed with a gun or rod, setting out to actively attack animals who were minding their own business, is not in keeping with the image of scouting, now or in the past.
Fishing is also inconsistent with the Boy Scout law, which states, "A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. He does not hurt or kill harmless things without reason." Clearly, there is no reason to inflict the pain and suffering that fish endure at the hands of anglers.
Promoting fishing teaches young people that hooking, maiming, suffocating, and killing is acceptable. This is a dangerous lesson, one that hurts not only the fish struggling for their lives at the end of a hook, but all of us. According to FBI profilers, the American Psychiatric Association, law enforcement officials, and child advocacy organizations, cruelty to animals is a warning sign often seen in people who eventually direct violence toward humans. In fact, published reports show that in every single case of recent school shootings, there has been one consistent factor: All the young killers abused or killed animals before turning on their classmates.
Of course, not every child who abuses animals will hurt or kill a human being. But every child who picks up a gun or a rod and uses it to harm another living being must deaden a piece of his or her heart. Adults—parents, teachers, scout leaders, and others who work with children—must start making lessons of compassion a priority. Showing children how to use a camera, instead of a rod and reel, teaches them the valuable lesson of empathy.
What You Can Do:
Please write to the president of the Boy Scouts of America, urging him to replace the outdated "Fishing" and "Fish and Wildlife Management" merit badges with a "Waterway Cleanup" badge. Scouts could perform a marvelous service to the community and to the environment by clearing fishing debris from rivers, ponds, lakes, and other waterways. Scouts can also learn to appreciate nature, rather than destroy it and its inhabitants, through birdwatching, hiking, and many other humane outdoor activities that merit badges. Please send your letter to:
Milton H. Ward, President
Boy Scouts of America
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Fax: 972-580-2079
But every child who picks up a gun or a rod and uses it to harm another living being must deaden a piece of his or her heart.
Mine didn't go to waste. Deer hit me - literally - I heard a sound - a quick glance showed me face to face with a yearling in the driver window.
I was almost home, told husband who called wildlife dept. He was afraid we'd get in trouble since it was deer season and after dark. So I ran back a mile away to deer and there was another couple there. I hopped out of the car and stated "that's my deer". Okay, I was about 25 years old. Both heads swiveled and the guy says "it's still alive". He happened to have a pistol in his car and shot it. Then we loaded it up, I took it home and had some succulent tenderloin.
I was okay with it until someone mentioned that I'd killed Bambi. It was young ( my waist high at the shoulder) and I felt bad but it hit me so I didn't feel bad about that. And it was harvested so not a total waste of life.
These PETA assholes want to destroy that experience. They need to die.
These people are nuts.
You can buy a boy a fish, or teach him to fish...
Thanks, that was a pleasant memory from childhood.
Those were the days.
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day,
Teach a man to fish and PETA pesters you the rest of your life."
“In fact, published reports show that in every single case of recent school shootings, there has been one consistent factor: All the young killers abused or killed animals before turning on their classmates.”
1. “published reports show ....” is a euphemism for “here comes some bull sh*t”. Why not just cite a source or two?
2. This statement equates “a kid fishing” with setting “a kid that sets cats on fire”. George Orwell observed that such abuse of language as a propaganda tool spells death to a civilization. So maybe this campaign to kill the fishing merit badge!t says more about PETA than it does about the Boy Scouts.
3. Humans have been hunting and fishing ever since they “came down from trees”. Killing or otherwise using animals for our own survival is in our genes. The most notorious mass murderers have been men who claim noble humanitarian motives, but consider fundamental human nature to be evil.
4. Hitler was a vegetarian.
Never an eagle, but I helped a few others get there. :)
Spent 10 years in all. Good times!
Either that, or make another badge for fish eating. Then we'd be fine. I could win that badge...
They have to learn these things...
Yep.
Anyone who compares a Scout earning a fishing badge with a serial killer has a few screws loose.
PETA is weapons grade stupid.
Hear, hear! PETA is a bunch of real idiots.
Indeed. I whs we could stop its spread.
I remember going fishing many times in the Scouts.
The most memorable was when we got back to the church where we had our meetings. One kid hit a catfish inside the church and got “stung” and cried ‘till he went to a hospital. It was a Saturday, and he tossed that fish like a hot potato!
We never found it that night. The minister found it early the next morning though ... under some steps ... stinking to high heaven. lol.
I’ve about had it with all these azzholes shoving their ideals on everyone else.
Fishing is WONDERFUL and screw PETA!
Screw the gays that want to push themselves into the Boy Scouts or pitch a fit over discrimination, cause the Scouts to lose their park privileges etc.
Screw the Union buttheads who whined because a Scout was going for his Eagle Scout badge. Nobody could do work for free, all work belongs to Unions for pay.
I almost to the point these ninnies need a pop in the jaw when they don’t respect others and shove their beliefs on all.
Guess they missed the Fly Fishing. Only one of my 2 Eagle Scout sons got that one, but they both got Fishing.
Even though I’m personally a strict vegan down to the point where I will never wear any wool, leather, down or fur, Peta will never get one single dime of my donations, just because of this crap.
It’s because the average Peta member has never lived outside a major metro area or a college campus. I’ve gotten into arguments with other Veg Heads at veg booths at state and county fairs, college campuses and at Whole Foods.
I had to remind them that if you’re trapped in the middle of the woods, you’re not going to find a field of legumes and nuts, so you’re going to have to get your lean protien from somewhere, and the quickest place to get it is from shooting a deer or fishing a fish from a pond.
Although it doesn’t really hurt for the average person to look at a “Meet Your Meat” video and see how the meat industry treats animals before they proccess them into meat. It’s nothing like a good old fashioned quest for Barbie or Charlie the Tuna like we’re preprogrammed to believe.
That should be Bambi.
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