Shooting is 'better for children than video games'

dZ · July 30, 2002, 01:25 PM

Shooting is 'better for children than video games'
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
(Filed: 27/07/2002)
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$?xml=/news/2002/07/27/nshoot27.xml&_requestid=105133&_requestid=141206

Learning to shoot is better for the young than playing violent computer
games or watching adult films, Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister,
agreed yesterday.

A recent survey by the Countryside Alliance showed that 77 per cent of the
public believed this to be the case.

Gamekeepers from the Royal Estate at the Game Fair at Broadlands

"As a youth worker, one of the things I saw was boxing," Mr Michael said on
the first day of the Game Fair, the annual festival of field sports.

"It was not a sport I was attracted to but it was an activity which involved
a manner of learning discipline. The same thing applies to shooting.

"The value of shooting is learning disciplines in a proper way as opposed to
the ersatz disciplines of video games."

Mr Michael, who is in charge of the consultation on the future of hunting,
went out of his way to reassure shooters that they had nothing to fear from
the Government in terms of regulation in the long term.

He told a seminar on shooting at the Game Fair that the Government had "no
intention" of interfering with "the sport of shooting or its development".

"There will be no change over shooting," he said, adding that he
acknowledged the value of shooting to the rural economy, which has been
estimated at a billion pounds a year.

Douglas Batchelor, director of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "The
league hopes the minister was referring to the humane sports of shooting
targets or clay pigeons. Young people should be given every chance to enjoy
the countryside.

"Any suggestion, however, that youngsters could benefit from learning to
shoot birds and other animals for pleasure is one with as little credibility
as the defence put forward by those who claim that hunting still has a place
in today's society for young and old alike."

Mr Michael refused to give an undertaking that there would be no
interference in respect of hunting, on which both the Commons and the Lords
had voted overwhelmingly for regulation - the Lords voted to license hunting
and the Commons voted for an absolute ban.

"Hunting has been a matter of debate for 20 years. It needs to be resolved,"
he said.

The Government is conducting a consultation on the future of hunting likely
to culminate with a three-day debate between the different parties in
September.

He told the seminar: "We do change our initial proposals when we are offered
sound arguments and approaches. Sound objections and logical arguments are
what works."

Mr Michael, who recently took a lesson in clay pigeon shooting at the West
London Shooting School, said his sports were walking and running. "It is not
something which I would spend a lot of time with," he said.

Nigel Davenport, director of the Countryside Alliance's campaign for
shooting, said: "We are encouraged by the minister's clear support for all
kinds of shooting.

"We feel that shooting provides an environment where a young person can
learn self discipline in a safe environment and at the same time they have
to be responsible for their actions."

John Swift, chief executive of the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation, said: "The future is bright for shooting but it is in our own
hands. We need to show that shooting is at all times properly conducted and
well run."

Dr Nick Southerton, director of research at the Game Conservancy Trust, said
research at the trust's experimental farm in Leicestershire had shown how to
reverse the decline of all the presently declining farmland birds, such as
grey partridge and corn bunting.

"Why is it left to a small minority group responsible for game to work out
the best way of managing the British countryside for wildlife?" he asked.

The Game Fair, at Broadlands, Romsey, Hants, is open today and tomorrow.

16 March 2002: Too much TV ruins children, says BBC head
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$NQIWSJAAAKJ11QFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2002/03/16/ngav16.xml

20 August 2001: Computer games make children anti-social
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$NQIWSJAAAKJ11QFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2001/08/20/ngame20.xml

External links _
_
Countryside Alliance
http://www.countryside-alliance.org/

League Against Cruel Sports
http://www.league.uk.com/
_
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
http://www.basc.org.uk/upload/tplt_p...age=2100002142
_
Game Conservancy Trust
http://www.game-conservancy.org.uk/
_
Game Fair
http://www.clagamefair.co.uk/gamefair/#
_
Parents Information Network
http://www.pin.org.uk/
_

Art Eatman · July 30, 2002, 05:03 PM

Batchelor, scion of a long line of bachelors, needs to learn that shooting birds is as much for food as for pleasure. The pleasure comes from having made a successful shot.

This thread probably ought to go to "General", but I'll let it run right here for now...

Art

July 30, 2002, 01:25 PM	#1
dZ Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 1999 Location: Exiled, Fetid Swamp, DC Posts: 7,548	Shooting is 'better for children than video games' Shooting is 'better for children than video games' By Charles Clover, Environment Editor (Filed: 27/07/2002) http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$?xml=/news/2002/07/27/nshoot27.xml&_requestid=105133&_requestid=141206 Learning to shoot is better for the young than playing violent computer games or watching adult films, Alun Michael, the rural affairs minister, agreed yesterday. A recent survey by the Countryside Alliance showed that 77 per cent of the public believed this to be the case. Gamekeepers from the Royal Estate at the Game Fair at Broadlands "As a youth worker, one of the things I saw was boxing," Mr Michael said on the first day of the Game Fair, the annual festival of field sports. "It was not a sport I was attracted to but it was an activity which involved a manner of learning discipline. The same thing applies to shooting. "The value of shooting is learning disciplines in a proper way as opposed to the ersatz disciplines of video games." Mr Michael, who is in charge of the consultation on the future of hunting, went out of his way to reassure shooters that they had nothing to fear from the Government in terms of regulation in the long term. He told a seminar on shooting at the Game Fair that the Government had "no intention" of interfering with "the sport of shooting or its development". "There will be no change over shooting," he said, adding that he acknowledged the value of shooting to the rural economy, which has been estimated at a billion pounds a year. Douglas Batchelor, director of the League Against Cruel Sports, said: "The league hopes the minister was referring to the humane sports of shooting targets or clay pigeons. Young people should be given every chance to enjoy the countryside. "Any suggestion, however, that youngsters could benefit from learning to shoot birds and other animals for pleasure is one with as little credibility as the defence put forward by those who claim that hunting still has a place in today's society for young and old alike." Mr Michael refused to give an undertaking that there would be no interference in respect of hunting, on which both the Commons and the Lords had voted overwhelmingly for regulation - the Lords voted to license hunting and the Commons voted for an absolute ban. "Hunting has been a matter of debate for 20 years. It needs to be resolved," he said. The Government is conducting a consultation on the future of hunting likely to culminate with a three-day debate between the different parties in September. He told the seminar: "We do change our initial proposals when we are offered sound arguments and approaches. Sound objections and logical arguments are what works." Mr Michael, who recently took a lesson in clay pigeon shooting at the West London Shooting School, said his sports were walking and running. "It is not something which I would spend a lot of time with," he said. Nigel Davenport, director of the Countryside Alliance's campaign for shooting, said: "We are encouraged by the minister's clear support for all kinds of shooting. "We feel that shooting provides an environment where a young person can learn self discipline in a safe environment and at the same time they have to be responsible for their actions." John Swift, chief executive of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: "The future is bright for shooting but it is in our own hands. We need to show that shooting is at all times properly conducted and well run." Dr Nick Southerton, director of research at the Game Conservancy Trust, said research at the trust's experimental farm in Leicestershire had shown how to reverse the decline of all the presently declining farmland birds, such as grey partridge and corn bunting. "Why is it left to a small minority group responsible for game to work out the best way of managing the British countryside for wildlife?" he asked. The Game Fair, at Broadlands, Romsey, Hants, is open today and tomorrow. 16 March 2002: Too much TV ruins children, says BBC head http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$NQIWSJAAAKJ11QFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2002/03/16/ngav16.xml 20 August 2001: Computer games make children anti-social http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$NQIWSJAAAKJ11QFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2001/08/20/ngame20.xml External links _ _ Countryside Alliance http://www.countryside-alliance.org/ League Against Cruel Sports http://www.league.uk.com/ _ British Association for Shooting and Conservation http://www.basc.org.uk/upload/tplt_p...age=2100002142 _ Game Conservancy Trust http://www.game-conservancy.org.uk/ _ Game Fair http://www.clagamefair.co.uk/gamefair/# _ Parents Information Network http://www.pin.org.uk/ _ __________________ "O tell the Lacedomecians to damn the torpedoes." BOTR, Chapter V: Some Monsters

July 30, 2002, 05:03 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Batchelor, scion of a long line of bachelors, needs to learn that shooting birds is as much for food as for pleasure. The pleasure comes from having made a successful shot. This thread probably ought to go to "General", but I'll let it run right here for now... Art