Barry,

It is understandable that you have not read through the whole thread. What was said about the deer hunt was within the context of a larger point.

In answer to EJ's original post. It is my contention that my family and my home province are NOT irrational barbarians because they hunt seals.

It is my contention that killing animals for meat and fur, or leather or whatever, is inherently cruel from the point of view of the animal, but one form of hunt or butchering, is not morally inferior or more irrational than any other. The animal is dead. If the person killing the animal is doing it in a humane way and if the species is not endangered, if it for food, clothing, income, medical research or any other reasonable use, it is no worse or better than the death of any other animal.

What is barbaric and irrational, in my opinion, is insulting people and trying to deprive them of income and food who are of miles away. But not protesting a similar thing in one's own back yard.

I am not saying that the seal hunt is better than deer hunting. I am saying it is no worse.