Letters to the Editor
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That's a convenient finger to point
Responsible environmentalists know that the great majority of environmental lead poisoning is caused by lead wheel weights. Common experience is enough to validate the conclusion. We see lead wheel weights all over the place. How often do we stumble on lead shot?
This is a nasty bit of political opportunism. It's no different from the right wanting to defund PBS out of a feigned concern for saving money. This is a cheap way of striking at a culture you can't stand, folks. There's nothing "liberal" about that.
With friends like you, the environment needs no enemies. The NRA does more for conservation than you do, far and away.
Fortunately, this is one battle in the culture war that you are losing. Between some recent Supreme Court decisions and the demonstrated success of liberalized concealed carry laws (see what the word means?), you're getting tossed in the ashbin of history. It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.
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"How often do we stumble on lead shot?"
I don't know. How often do you eat from a gut pile? Listen, chief: anyone who gets off on blasting animals to death is an asshole. That being said, no one is telling these tough guys they can't kill stuff anymore. Slippery-slope is bullshit, always has been.
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Conservatives should be ashamed to make arguments like this
Along with hunting groups like Gun Owners of California, they argue that efforts to restrict hunters' use of lead bullets in the condors' range are nothing less than the first shots in a battle to ban hunting in California altogether.
So conservatives don't have faith in democracy or rule of law?
They're arguing that we can't make a small law because the small law will automatically mushroom out of control into a much bigger law.
That's an insult to rule of law and democracy. Conservatives should hang their heads in shame for making arguments like this.
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It might have something to do with the fact...
It might have something to do with the fact that when they autopsy dead condors they find lead shot in their guts not tire balancing weights.
Also interesting is the fact that the highest concentration of motor vehicles and the highest concentration of condors doesn't overlap.
I'm sure that it must be the tire balancing weights, somehow.
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And here's a reason why nobody is going to ban hunting
Many wildlife programs are funded by hunting license fees. Without hunting license fees, a lot of those programs would have to be cut.
In fact a lot of wildlife programs across the country are now in danger because hunting is declining in popularity and hunting license fee revenue is way down.
I really don't see California Democrats lining up behind any statewide ban on hunting any time soon.
These gun lobby people are just being manipulative. I don't think they even really believe that hunting ban argument themselves.
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What will Schwarzenegger do?
That has got be the stupidest question I've ever seen. That's like asking if George Bush can speak coherent English. The answer is NO, just like you know that Arnold's not going to do anything for the girly-man condors.
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Listen, chief: anyone who gets off on blasting animals to death is an asshole
Well, call me an asshole then. I certainly have one. I also know one when I read its Letter to the Editor.
Jerk.
That out of the way, I remember when us duck hunters had to make the switch from lead shot to soft steel shot. I remember the squealing and whining. I also remember I had better luck hunting with steel shot than lead, and that it only affected a few specialized shotgun barrels.
Worked out quite well, and is no longer an issue.
Of course hunters should find a non-toxic alternative to lead. Hunting organizations should be leading the way on this. It's a great opportunity to demonstrate that most hunters (like me) care deeply about wildlife and wilderness, and keeping them for future generations.
Killing the animal is the most unpleasant part of hunting. Studying, surveying, sitting and stalking are the good stuff. Watching the animal die is like a rerun of the end of Old Yeller. But if you do your homework, you do watch the animal die, because it dies right where you shoot it. Part of being a good hunter is facing up to what you're doing, and making sure your prey doesn't suffer more than it has to.
Ahnold is too self-absorbed to ever be or appreciate hunting. He's more of the Cheney and Scalia ilk, who slaughter tame animals thrown into their line of fire by poorly paid illegal aliens. So maybe he doesn't give a shit about Condors.
Real hunters do. And real hunters in California should start demanding that copper bullets are required in sensitive areas. Who knows? Maybe we'll see some ballistical advantages if we shift to different materials.
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How about THIS?
Tell the goddamn NRA that either they lose the lead or hunting in condor country WILL be banned. Make your choice, morons, lead and NO hunting, or steel, tungsten, or copper and continued hunting.
What a bunch of idiots...and I own a gun (but will NEVER support the nutbag NRA).
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We can judge hunters all we want
But how would we make up for the revenue they contribute that gets used for wildlife management?
Like it or not, the state budget is dependent on them. I don't see any easy replacement for their money looming on the horizon either.
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Other States Have Done This...
My big, outdoor, hunting state of Michigan has done away with lead ammo, and it works.
Please stop with your silliness. You do not need lead ammo. Arnold, please do not believe the NRA in this instance. Let the lead ammo go away. A year from now, none of your hunters will notice any difference in their results.
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re: "How often do we stumble on lead shot?"
What nonsense! Listen, condors don't go around using those enormous bills to pick up little round metal balls off the ground and eat them. What they DO do is eat carrion, including animals that were killed using lead shot.
What is wrong with hunting with non-lead shot? Sounds like hunters are kind of doing condors a favor in providing piles of left-behind guts for them to eat. We just need to get rid of the lead. Why is this such a big deal??
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re: "How often do we stumble on lead shot?"
What nonsense! Listen, condors don't go around using those enormous bills to pick up little round metal balls off the ground and eat them. What they DO do is eat carrion, including animals that were killed using lead shot.
What is wrong with hunting with non-lead shot? Sounds like hunters are kind of doing condors a favor in providing piles of left-behind guts for them to eat. We just need to get rid of the lead. Why is this such a big deal??