caorach
Well-Known Member
There is considerable and useful discussion on this forum on the "bigger" issues surrounding shooting where it interfaces with politics and those people who don't shoot. These discussions are often tied in with discussions of which shooting organisation is best to represent us, often driven by a small number who are dissatisified with one or other organisation. Many people clearly hold a range of strong views on many topics relating to shooting and the politics involved.
Recently there was a thread here about SNH and enforced training for stalkers in Scotland. There were lots of views expressed, but not a lot of facts. It was a simple matter and the work of 15 minutes to compose a FOI request to SNH and establish the facts and it was interesting that the thread detailing the facts as outlined by SNH attracted a tiny fraction of the posts on the thread of wild speculation and predictions of doom.
It has not escaped my notice, or that of others, that a lot of the people who complain on this forum or who announce that various political events will impact upon our sport never actually engage in the political process by bothering to contact their political representitives or by contacting organisations like SNH and demanding answers.
Why is it that many people who hold strong views and who express them here in useful, constructive and often very well argued threads repeatedly fail to bring these concerns to the attention of their politicians? Why is it that people can type for hours on this forum each week, often predicting doom or detailing what needs to be done and usually fighting with fellow stalkers, and yet it seems very rare for these same people to contact their MPs to make their views known?
Most MPs and similar can be contacted by email or through a simple web interface and it takes only minutes to bring your views to their attention and, therefore, to have your say in a democratic process where a very small number of very loud mouthed people often appear to create the policies and laws of the land.
Are those people who feel strongly about shooting matters, and who frequently fight for long periods of time with other stalkers on this forum, willing to agree that for every hour they spend on SD posting to the faithful they will also spend 15 minutes writing to their MP or other representitive on shooting matters?
Recently there was a thread here about SNH and enforced training for stalkers in Scotland. There were lots of views expressed, but not a lot of facts. It was a simple matter and the work of 15 minutes to compose a FOI request to SNH and establish the facts and it was interesting that the thread detailing the facts as outlined by SNH attracted a tiny fraction of the posts on the thread of wild speculation and predictions of doom.
It has not escaped my notice, or that of others, that a lot of the people who complain on this forum or who announce that various political events will impact upon our sport never actually engage in the political process by bothering to contact their political representitives or by contacting organisations like SNH and demanding answers.
Why is it that many people who hold strong views and who express them here in useful, constructive and often very well argued threads repeatedly fail to bring these concerns to the attention of their politicians? Why is it that people can type for hours on this forum each week, often predicting doom or detailing what needs to be done and usually fighting with fellow stalkers, and yet it seems very rare for these same people to contact their MPs to make their views known?
Most MPs and similar can be contacted by email or through a simple web interface and it takes only minutes to bring your views to their attention and, therefore, to have your say in a democratic process where a very small number of very loud mouthed people often appear to create the policies and laws of the land.
Are those people who feel strongly about shooting matters, and who frequently fight for long periods of time with other stalkers on this forum, willing to agree that for every hour they spend on SD posting to the faithful they will also spend 15 minutes writing to their MP or other representitive on shooting matters?