A simple yes or no, is fox hunting cruel? (From Worcester News)

A simple yes or no, is fox hunting cruel?

4:30pm Friday 22nd April 2011 in Read

Sir – As I have said before, Jon Burgess keeps dishing out statistics and figures to defend his views on fox hunting and hare coursing. He claims that the League Against Cruel Sports has less than 4,000 members (Worcester News, April 14). Why does he say this? Does he feel that this ‘minority’ has no right to an opinion? Does Mr Burgess actually understand the reasons for these anti-hunting letters? People that write to the letters page in the Worcester News talk about their experiences with cruelty and the unjust nature of fox hunting but instead Mr Burgess goes political.

What have the financial cuts being imposed in this country got to do with hunting? Why does he mention that, in his opinion, £30 million spent on the Hunting Act could have been spent on nurses, police and hospital beds? I don’t see the relevance.

Let’s keep it simple, Mr Burgess. Is fox hunting cruel? Should humans control animal populations for their own selfish needs? Is hunting a sport/pest control or both?

Also, If Mr Burgess keeps harping on about hare coursing practices that took place in AD116, then clearly he has outdated views.

Simon McCullough Worcester