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Filmmaker Michael Moore has a new documentary, "Bowling for Columbine," which takes on gun violence in America. It has been largely derided by gun rights activists and applauded by gun control supporters, but Moore earned the wrath of animal rights activists with his rather open support for hunting.
In an October 10 interview with Time Out magazine, for example, Moore said, "When I was a kid [the NRA] was a gun safety and sporting organization that had a good purpose. It taught kids how to responsibly use rifles and shotguns for hunting."
Bill Dollinger, the Washington DC director of Friends of Animals, wrote a letter to Moore complaining of his lack of compassion for the animals,
Give me a break. You advocate killing. Hunting is ethically and environmentally indefensible, and causes great harm to millions of individuals. As you challenged Charlton Heston to rethink his views, I challenge you to give this issue thoughtful examination.As you left Mr. Heston with the photograph of a young girl who was a victim of gun violence, I will leave you with the following quote which demonstrates the effect which hunting has on individuals.
The following letter was recently printed in the "Winnepeg Sun," concerning an article on the way Canada geese will go to great lengths to remain with those members of a flock who are shot by hunters:
"As a hunter, I have seen numerous occasions where a wounded goose will have one, two, or three or more geese follow it down.
The last time was this past Sunday. I fired three shots, got two clean kills, and wounded one. Three other geese came down with it. They knew they were in a very vulnerable situation yet they stayed on the ground with the wounded bird."
A girl is a goose is a pig, anyone?
Source:
Michael Moore advocates hunting. Bill Dollinger, Friends of Animals, E-mail, October 22, 2002.