To the Telegram:
The recent bill that passed in Wisconsin lowering the state's hunting age from 12 to 10 begs the question: How low will hunting lobbyists go?
Wisconsin is just one of the states across the country working to eliminate minimum hunting ages and put loaded weapons into increasingly younger hands -- part of a money-hungry effort to recruit new hunters to revive a dying sport. The result? A rise in the number of hunting accidents and deliberate acts of violence involving children.
According to the International Hunter Education Association, in one year alone, there were 445 hunting accidents, about 25 percent of which involved children. The association believes these statistics will only get higher as the age at which children are allowed to handle guns is lowered. The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics warns children younger than 12 are not "developmentally ready to safely handle a gun."
Recent schoolyard shootings and decades of evidence show that a child's attitude toward animals can predict future behavior. From Columbine to Jonesboro, Ark., many of the kids involved in schoolyard shootings first "practiced" on animals.
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In this culture of escalating youth violence, it is irresponsible and downright dangerous to teach our children how to kill.
To learn more about ways to help wildlife, visit www.HelpingAnimals.com .
- Amy Skylark Elizabeth,
People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals
