Letter: Saddened at hatred expressed by hunt opponents in online poll
I was sadly unable to take part in the Shropshire Star's poll on the Hunting Act. I have followed hounds for the last 60 years and, even before the infamous Act was introduced, rarely saw a fox killed by hounds.
At least I can say that this is an unbelievably quick and clean method which I would consider preferable to some alternative means of control when not carried out efficiently.
There are people now following hounds who have never seen them kill a fox. Their pleasure is derived from riding across country and by watching hounds hunting a trail, so what makes those who have never even seen a hunt in progress want to label them sadists and perverts?
On reading some of the online comments on the poll I was saddened to conclude that they were merely an expression of hatred by one sector of the community against another which they did not know or understand in the slightest.
This explosion of vitriol at a time supposed to be the season of goodwill made me fear for the future of our society. If this is typical, what is happening to a country which once prided itself on its democracy and tolerance of others with different customs and beliefs?
Rural people are seldom consulted by pollsters and online polls discriminate against those without access to computers. This mirrors our present political system. With a lack of proportional representation, the urban majority will always prevail against rural dwellers in a way which would not be allowed were they a non-native minority.
B R Lewis, Shrewsbury
