Wild animals are natural resources
To the Daily:
Emily Achenbaum”s column (“Hunting: Wasteful, cruel and definitely not a sport,” 2/19/01) was unbelievably ridiculous. It wasn”t ridiculous simply because she has a view that”s different than mine but because of her logic. From the column it appears that she formulated her anti-hunting opinion based on what she saw while babysitting in an outdoorsman”s home. She saw mounted animals. From that she concluded that hunting is “wasteful, cruel and definitely not a sport.”
The Michigan deer population is so high that it causes an unbelievable number of traffic accidents. Sometimes the deer cause people to swerve off the road into trees or other cars. As a result of these accidents, a lot of cars are wrecked and a lot of people are bruised, paralyzed and killed. I think that”s a waste, Achenbaum.
The truth is that population control is paramount to managing our wildlife and hunting is an operation of population control. Nothing is wasted, the animals are eaten and/or their fur is used.
Bottom line, wild animals are natural resources just like trees, oil and coal. When these animals are harvested for human benefit, it is justified along the same lines as forestry. There is nothing cruel about harvesting an animal. The shot of a 12-gauge feels no different to a pheasant than the teeth of a hungry bobcat.
When our forefathers (especially the French and English) came to the new land they hunted, fished and trapped. It is part of American heritage to participate in these activities. To deny people of this would be denying them of their heritage.
To be in the outdoors participating in these activities is to spit in the face of drug and alcohol abuse. Young people involved in hunting and fishing are less likely to abuse substances and go to jail. Achenbaum needs to look beyond the concrete jungles of our cities and beyond the residence of her babysitting job to form a fair and educated opinion on hunting. Judging people and their activities is not wise without thinking it through first.
Matthew Agius
LSA senior
“U” needs to observe all federal holidays
To the Daily:
Yesterday, Feb. 19, was another usual day for the people associated with the University. We went about our business oblivious to the fact that the rest of the country was observing President”s Day, a federal holiday. I am writing to question the University”s policy toward the observance of federal holidays.
I am wondering what authority the University has to pick and choose which holidays to observe. Federal holidays are designated by the government not only to allow hard working Americans to take a day off to enjoy time with family and friends but also as a means to honor the commitments and dedication of others.
Michigan”s academic calendar chooses to observe a few federal holidays but ignores President”s Day and Veterans Day. Is it right for the University to pick and choose which holidays to observe based on a matter of convenience because it fits into the semester”s schedule? And does the University have the right to choose which holidays have political implications worth observing on campus? If so, that is a bold assumption.
Jun Takayasu
LSA sophomore