Day 35: No money for food, but money for bullets.

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 35: No money for food, but money for bullets.

I got myself into a pickle. Not that I regret it. I stand by what I said and given the chance, I’ll say it again and again.

Earlier today someone asked which kind of deer are most popular to shoot. Several people reacted that they’d rather see the hunter’s head on a while than a deer. I added that I hate hunting and hate hunters.

I was well aware that I would be criticized and I was right. Within half an hour I was on the receiving end of some hateful comments. One person stated, “Are you vegan?”

I knew what she was hinted at. If I was not a vegetarian or a vegan, what right did I have to criticize hunting? If I eat meat than what’s the difference between slaughter and hunting?

In a way she is right. There is little difference. Whether it’s a cow, a pig, a sheep or a deer, killing is killing.

Yet to me there is a difference. I only eat beef, pork, chicken and fish. I never touch sheep, lamb, turkey, rabbit, duck, or any other fancy meats. If I had it my way, I would go vegetarian, but unfortunately, my system doesn’t allow it.

Others stated that hunters help keep down the deer population. Baloney! There are plenty of other animals nobody hunts, and they are perfectly fine. One example is the penguins in Antarctica.

Fact is, some people are gun-crazy and like to kill, it gives them a sense of power.

Another said that some people have to hunt to feed their children. I say, if a family is that hard up for money, then they shouldn’t have had children to begin with. What chance do kids have that come from such a poor family that they don’t have money for food? They won’t get a decent education, they won’t find a job and end up like their parents.

The problem is, all too often one or both parents spend the welfare money on things other than food and then they must good meat from another source. I do wonder though ... if they are so poor, where do they get the money from for a gun, a license, and bullets?

It angers me to no end that those who want to adopt a child are put through a demanding process. Their lives are turned inside out, they have to adhere to all kinds of rules, and pay thousands of dollars.

On top of figuring out how to get approved for adoption, parents also will face paying for the process. The average fees and costs for international adoptions total $44,000, according to the 2016-2017 Adoption Cost & Timing Survey by Adoptive Families magazine.May 21, 2018)

https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Adoption_and_Foster_Care/Get_Started/requirements.asp

Yet any woman can just give birth to a child, or multiple children, with no questions asked.

What a sick society we live in. People breed at will and animals have to pay with their lives to feed for their mistakes.

Day 40: Getting your driver’s license

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 40: Getting your driver’s license

Ever since I became a teenager I wanted to drive a car and I couldn’t wait for my 18^th birthday.

Dad promised that he would teach me to drive. As soon as I was legally allowed, I could take my place behind the wheel and he would take me on the road.

Unfortunately, two weeks before my 18^th birthday my parents bought a new car and while dad was still willing to teach me to drive, I chickened out. I would have been fine driving the old car, but this brand new one … no, no way. Suppose something happened to it.

The years passed and I was already well into my twenties when my ex-husband suddenly decided that it was time I learned how to drive. One fine Sunday afternoon we got into the car, he drove to a secluded spot, got out of the driver’s seat and suggested that I take his place.

In my hands, the car hopped rather than drove and for the next twenty minutes the only words coming out of my ex’s mouth were “Give gas, give gas, give gas!”

Once I had the starting and stopping down it was time to actually drive and I tell ya … I was terrified. 

For my fifth driving lesson, I was to drive us to a friend’s house and this usually 20-minute trip took me 45 minutes to complete. I drove at a snail pace and every time a car approached, I thought I was going to hit it. 

Upon arrival, my shirt was soaked with sweat.

Everything changed when September came around and I had to drive my son to school. Instead of driving only on Sundays, I had to drive every day, twice a day and that made all the difference. Within a week I was a confident driver.

Next, it was time to take my driver’s exam. I got full marks for the theory test, but the practical exam left much to be desired. My driving was fine, my three-point turn was fine, but where it came to parallel parking I flunked.

I had to wait two months before I could take the exam again, and again I flunked. That parallel parking didn’t agree with me. After another two month wait, I went back, on my birthday as it happened, and the driving instructor recognized me. 

Once again the parallel parking was a disaster, but this time I put up a fight.

“You seem very nervous,” the instructor said.

“It’s because of you,” I told him. “When I’m alone in the car or with my husband, my parking is just fine, but now that I have to prove this to you, it just doesn’t work.”

“Alright,” he said. “I’m gonna go get a coffee, you keep practicing.”

So I did. I practiced parallel parking on the right side and the left side of the road and each time it went perfectly.

When the instructor came back he told me to drive straight to the office. 

“What about my parallel parking that you told me to practice?” I asked him. 

“I’ve seen enough,” he said. “I’ve been watching you from behind the window and you’re more than qualified to get your license.”

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Are we civilized human beings, or bloodthirsty killers?

Tana C posted a message and a picture on Facebook today, showing off the hunting rifle she just bought.

In light of recent violence and stricter gun laws, I thought this was in poor taste.  Of how many shooting have we heard lately? 

Being anti gun, anti violence and certainly anti hunting, I posted a comment in reply to Tana’s announcement.

The comments that followed were divided.  Some shared my views on gun possession, those in favor of guns clearly sided with Tana.

Tana herself defended her gun ownership and hunting actions by stating “Deer and elk provide food for my family”.

No arguing with that, but … just how much does the deer and elk she’s about to shoot cost her? 

I did a little research and found that the rifle Tana bought (a Savage 7 mm + scope) costs $599.  A box of 20 bullets goes for $20.  A hunting license set her back $219 per acre.  Total cost: $838.

I don’t know about you but $838 puts a lot of food on my table.

That’s not all though.  A hunter needs to wear camouflage and needs a hunting knife.  Let’s estimate that at another $200.

Once the animal is processed it needs to be frozen.  One needs a massive chest freezer to hold that much meat.  Shall we say $300 for that appliance?

Grand total: $1338.

Tana also stated that the animal she kills and eats is hormone free, unlike some of the meat that ends up in the supermarket.

While this might be true, there are other things to consider.  

Veterinarians inspect whether animals are fit for slaughter and once killed the Ministry of Health sends their inspectors to verify that meat is disease free and handled and stored in hygienic conditions.

While the deer that Tana shoots might be hormone free, what condition is he in?  He might be sick, he might have eaten contaminated food or drank polluted water.

Fact is, some people pretend hunting provides food for their families and that wild animals are more healthy, but that just an excuse.  It’s the kill they like.  They like to dress up.  They like going back to basics.  They like picking up a gun.  They like the power it gives them.

People will claim that some states are overcrowded with deer and that hunting is necessary to keep down the numbers.  In that case, the hunting rule not to shoot female deer makes no sense.  If anything, it’s the females that should be shot, because they are the ones reproducing.  If there were more male than female dear, there would be less offspring next year and the year after.

I’m against hunting and I make no secret of it.  I’m against the slaughter of animals too, but there are certain things in life that one just cannot change. 

If gun control ever kicks in, maybe the ban should include hunting rifles too.

Are we civilized human beings, or bloodthirsty killers?