🚀 go-pugleaf

Robert Byron Lowrie (lowrie@eddy.engin.umich.edu) wrote:
: 
: I'm guessing that this news has been given so much response because
: most of us abhor the idea of hunting, myself included.  If the Runner
: had been killed by a drunk driver, I doubt we would have gotten such a
: response in this group.  I would imagine many more runners are killed
: by drunk drivers than shot by hunters.  In perspective, hunting is a
: legal activity, and when you equip a human with a deadly weapon,
: accidents are bound to happen.  Mr. Cook should get no more punishment
: than a careless (NOT drunk or reckless) driver.

I'm not sure about your distinction between careless and reckless. A reckless
/careless driver who kills someone should be charged with negligent
homicide, as should a hunter who shoots at unidentified targets and connects
with people. Also, I am not opposed to hunting, having hunted for a large
part of my life. I think most hunters are outraged by this type of mistake,
because they know they are easily avoided by responsible people. 


: 
: To prevent this from occurring again, we shouldn't worry so much about
: punishing Mr. Cook, but instead concentrate on keeping the general
: public away from hunting areas.  If this means there should be less
: hunting areas, so be it.  I can't imagine being in an area where my
: life is in so many other people's hands.  In other words, let hunters
: shoot each other, but not me (: Unfortunately, an argument I often
: here is that much of the money used to set aside public lands comes
: from hunters (through license fees, taxes, ...), although I find this
: hard to believe.
:
I think should disabuse the public and the hunting community in
particular of the notion that citizens killed by hunters have themselves
to blame. I think that means punishing and making an example of Mr. Cook,
and others like him. There are accidental deaths that involve no crime,
but this kind of negligence is definitely criminal.

scott smay