When backed by the National Rifle Association, hunters are politically powerful, although more than 93 percent of Americans do not hunt.
Friends of Animals opposes all sport hunting. Our reasons for this are scientific, social and, above all, ethical. Sport hunting-killing wild animals for fun and recreation-is wrong.
Incredibly, hunters believe they have the special right to shoot wildlife without verbal interference from animal protectionists. With the NRA’s muscle, a hunter-protection provision of the Senate crime bill sailed through the Senate in November without hearings, a committee report or debate. The House never considered it.
The Senate bill would make unlawful disruption or speech directed at a hunter or trapper which interferes with the nimrod’s ability to enjoy his killing activity. Clearly, the proposed law is ridiculous and unconstitutional, as it seeks to exempt hunters from the 1st Amendment.
Let your members of Congress know that the hunter-protection provision of the Senate crime bill stifles free speech and that there’s no compelling reason to protect hunters from speech they’d prefer not to hear.
