Simon Cowell thinks hunting should stay banned!

[countrygirl45]

Simon just said on Newnight that "hunting should stay banned" and that the "prime-minister should know what the general public want". Used to admire the man - just gone off him!

 

[joy]

Who is Simon Cowell and what is his opinion worth?

 

[countrygirl45]

Well the only problem is that a lot of young people out there happen to think what he says is all good - which is a bit worrying. Mind you, as he was speaking on newsnight most of them wouldn't be watching!
It's not all bad :grin:
Oh and he is the man who runs X-factor and Britains got talent (for those that don't know). :grin:

 

[spacefaer]

I think he lives on another planet - the one where politicians are ethical, moral & honourable and where the "general public" look up to them as they look after our best interests....

he freely admits that he doesn't like the country, it being muddy, full of weather and noisy, dirty, smelly animals. Since he lives in LA, it really shouldn't bother him too greatly!!

 

[dorani]

Brave man!

 

[BBH]

Sensible man

 

[combat_claire]

I wish 'celebrities' would stop spouting their uninformed views about things. First of all we have Paul McCartney hammering the agriculture industry and declaring we need a meat-free Monday. Then Pink calling Prince William a redneck for his involvement in hunting, now Simon Cowell wants to dumb down politics and takes the chance to hold forth on the hunting ban.

 

[muffinino]

I could care less what Simon Cowell thinks, I'm just not sure how!

Why on Earth was he on Newsnight?

 

[combat_claire]

I can explain the second question. He wants an x Factor style debate in the run up to the election, where studio audience can vote on key issues such as immigration or the Iraq war. Apparently he thinks hunting is one of the key concerns of the average bloke on the street!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...unveils-plan-launch-election-debate-show.html

 

[the watcher]

and let me guess, no doubt there would be a money spinning phone in vote too.

 

[cavalo branco]

Simon Cowell has surely never even worn wellies, like most of our "politicians". They all live on another planet, and I hope that they stay there!!!!! Simon Cowell, if you are listening, stick to the music business and leave countryside issues to those that actually live there.

 

[muffinino]

I can explain the second question. He wants an x Factor style debate in the run up to the election, where studio audience can vote on key issues such as immigration or the Iraq war. Apparently he thinks hunting is one of the key concerns of the average bloke on the street!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...unveils-plan-launch-election-debate-show.html

:shocked:

 

[rosie fronfelen]

here we go, another clueless celeb. sticking his ignorant nose in! i admire Cowellfor his entertainment knowledge but that'sa where it should end. i know he's an animal lover which is good but he should keep out of this one- trouble is, people will listen to him who know no better!!!

 

[Girlracer]

I don't think we cam criticise his opinion, be it an informed or un-informed opinion. For all we know he could be extremely clued up!

 

[cptrayes]

Simon Cowell is a person and he has a vote in a democracy. He and people like him who believe in the ban deserve more respect for their opinions. If they had more respect from hunters then maybe they wouldn't think people who hunt are a bunch of toffs with no interest in ordinary people, as many of them do. Reading stuff like some of these comments on forums like this would just confirm them in their beliefs.

And please will people who think everyone who lives in the country supports a repeal of the ban think again and stop writing as if no country dweller could possibly think hunting with hounds was wrong? There are plenty of us who don't want the act repealed who live and work in the country. Will you please stop making broad and incorrect statements on my behalf!

It is perfectly possible, also, to have an INFORMED belief that hunting with hounds is past its time and not acceptable in the current age. It is incredibly arrogant to write off anyone who disagrees with hunting with hounds as "uninformed". Speaking personally, it's insulting.

There ARE two sides to this argument. It is not black and white. There are shades of grey. People who want the ban repealed need to be cleverer and less alienating about the way they argue for a repeal if they are to succeed in the aim to hunt legally with hounds again.

The CA campaign featuring the nurse hunting was the way to do it, not slagging off a celebrity for having a valid opinion. The answer to that is to find an equally well known celebrity of your own to put the opposing view. If you can find one.

 

[Girlracer]

Simon Cowell is a person and he has a vote in a democracy. He and people like him who believe in the ban deserve more respect for their opinions. If they had more respect from hunters then maybe they wouldn't think people who hunt are a bunch of toffs with no interest in ordinary people, as many of them do. Reading stuff like some of these comments on forums like this would just confirm them in their beliefs.

And please will people who think everyone who lives in the country supports a repeal of the ban think again and stop writing as if no country dweller could possibly think hunting with hounds was wrong? There are plenty of us who don't want the act repealed who live and work in the country. Will you please stop making broad and incorrect statements on my behalf!

It is perfectly possible, also, to have an INFORMED belief that hunting with hounds is past its time and not acceptable in the current age. It is incredibly arrogant to write off anyone who disagrees with hunting with hounds as "uninformed". Speaking personally, it's insulting.

There ARE two sides to this argument. It is not black and white. There are shades of grey. People who want the ban repealed need to be cleverer and less alienating about the way they argue for a repeal if they are to succeed in the aim to hunt legally with hounds again.

The CA campaign featuring the nurse hunting was the way to do it, not slagging off a celebrity for having a valid opinion. The answer to that is to find an equally well known celebrity of your own to put the opposing view. If you can find one.

I'm actually pro, but i think your 100% right. The sort of reply this thread has got is why anti's can say pro hunters are arrogant and un-interested in others views.

 

[cptrayes]

Thanks for that. And I have no problem with you trying to get the law repealed, that's the whole point of a democracy. You have a big fight on your hands now it's in place. Badly framed as it is, it's easier to leave it than take it away, escpecially as it probably won't gain many Tory voters but it could lose some who might have switched from Labour.

Oh, and I LURVVVVED X-factor this year!!

 

[rosie fronfelen]

after all this i wish i hadn't given my opinion, i'm not being toffish or arguing against the antis- just my own, obviously wrong opinion! i'll shut up in future and leave it to the others on here to get slated!!

 

[BBH]

An excellent post.

I live in the country and don't like hunting but more so I don't like the people who hunt. IMO its totally arrogant to diss the views of others because you don't agree with them and flout the law because you think you are above it.

I totally accept there are people who hunt who are not arrogant but unfortunately they are not the ones who are loud.

 

[combat_claire]

I don't like football, I don't like people who try and bore me to death on the defensive strategies of Peterborough United FC when I have gone to the pub for a nice pint, however I wouldn't want to see hunting banned. That is what is commonly known as tolerance. Hunting brings many benefits to local economies, the environment, farming and social communities.

It feels and I appreciate that this is based on an article by the Daily Mail that he hasn't made a view based on the wider benefits, but just jumped to a conclusion that hunting looks messy and cruel and therefore should remain banned. You cannot make sweeping statements unless you are certain of all the facts.

Yet again someone of an anti-persuasion claims the law is being routinely flouted and yet cannot present any evidence of it. I'm still waiting for CPtrayes to present her evidence of law breaking, perhaps you can help out.

As for 'dissing views' is that not exactly what the parliamentarians did in passing the act? They ignored their own commissioned report to push ahead in bringing in an act. An act incidentally that has condemned more animals to more brutal deaths than ever before (Middle Way Group research paper)

No offence, but you really can't take one or two arrogant folk and extrapolate that to conclude that every hunting person is arrogant. If I were to take that methodology then I would have concluded long ago that ALL horse riders were snobbish and unsafe individuals

 

[BBH]

The Bottom line is, no matter how many airy fairy niceties you spin regarding its benefits , that most decent thinking people do not derive any pleasure in ripping an animal apart for sport.

This sort of activity was confined to the dark ages and has no place in modern society, God knows I'm sure people thought there were benefits to Victorian workhouses but thankfully we've moved on.

The trouble with tolerance in this case is that a fox if caught dies an awful death and for me where pain and death are involved tolerance goes out the window. I'm not interested in reading reports to support hunting, a report can be aligned to support any conclusion according to who is commissioning it.

Oh and your post does nothing to dispel the ' snob' connotations.
Its a long time since I've ever seen the word extrapolate used. In fact i'll look it up. No offence.

 

[speedbird]

I go foxhunting but that doesn't mean i expect everyone to agree with it. I have lots of friends that are anti but i appreciate that everybody is entitled to their opinion and im still friends with them, and them with me. I think simon is great, and a nice person. He s a big animal lover and donates lots of money to animal charities, so he s highly unlikely to support hunting ! The people i have a problem with, is the so called animal lovers like the anti hunt sabs, that encourage hounds across roads and railway tracks to kill them, to me thats hypocritical.

 

[combat_claire]

And then you wonder why hunting people get so angry and state that uninformed opinions are rife.

Fox control is necessary and for me hunting is the most preferable. Let us have a quick look at the other options - gassing, poisoning and gin traps have been rightly outlawed, or you can snare them - can't always guarantee that the fox caught in snare won't be left for hours till the next check.

Alternatively you could shoot the fox - but how do you guarantee the fox that is shot is the one that has been predating livestock? How can you guarantee that the shot is accurate 100% of the time? The fact is that you can't make those guarantees, which means some foxes will be condemned to a death from starvation because a botched shot took its jaw off, or a slow, lingering death from gangrene. If you really think that is better than a quick kill with two certain outcomes - death or a clean get away, then you really need to read some of the independent reports - the Burns report was commissioned by the government. Hardly a slanted pro-hunting report. It is laughable that you won't even consider reading a report that doesn't align with your view of the issue.

I was a waverer about the hunting argument, then I went to see for my own eyes. I have witnessed several pre-ban kills and am convinced that a quick death by hounds would be my preferred method. The fox is not ripped apart as you graphically claim, but is broken up by hounds once it is dead.

You really think that using a word of longer than three syllables makes me a snob. What a ridiculously flawed argument.

 

[MrWoof]

Yes please - could we please deport ALL of them - to a far off planet from the one on which I live.
SC and the "townies" (the imported townies are 100 times worse actually - anyone ever lived or lives near one?) really should just mind their own business and let us country folk get on with what we have been doing for centuries.

 

[cptrayes]

I don't like football, I don't like people who try and bore me to death on the defensive strategies of Peterborough United FC when I have gone to the pub for a nice pint, however I wouldn't want to see hunting banned. That is what is commonly known as tolerance. Hunting brings many benefits to local economies, the environment, farming and social communities.

It feels and I appreciate that this is based on an article by the Daily Mail that he hasn't made a view based on the wider benefits, but just jumped to a conclusion that hunting looks messy and cruel and therefore should remain banned. You cannot make sweeping statements unless you are certain of all the facts.

Yet again someone of an anti-persuasion claims the law is being routinely flouted and yet cannot present any evidence of it. I'm still waiting for CPtrayes to present her evidence of law breaking, perhaps you can help out.

As for 'dissing views' is that not exactly what the parliamentarians did in passing the act? They ignored their own commissioned report to push ahead in bringing in an act. An act incidentally that has condemned more animals to more brutal deaths than ever before (Middle Way Group research paper)

No offence, but you really can't take one or two arrogant folk and extrapolate that to conclude that every hunting person is arrogant. If I were to take that methodology then I would have concluded long ago that ALL horse riders were snobbish and unsafe individuals

You want me to NAME the hunts I know are breaking the law? You want me to take responsibility if the sabs kill another man? I wouldn't even PM you with it, I don't know who you are. For all anyone knows you are a very clever member of the LACS.

You are living in cloud cuckoo land if you do not accept that there are hunts, particularly midweek with small fields, regularly hunting fox. Do you REALLY think that they are laying a trail on a wet Monday with seven in the field?

To be honest, your sort of reaction is doing hunting no favours at all. I am an informed not-for-me-thankyou. You can do whatever you like within the law, as far as I am concerned. I have hunted fox with the Beaufort, the Berkeley and the Curre. For years I stabled with the master of the Garth and South Berks.

You beat me, you really do. You think people like me won't hunt fox because it "looks messy and cruel". No, we won't hunt fox because we personally believe that it is not a way that we should get our fun by causing fear and pain to another creature. I have seen foxes running for their lives and it's not something I want to be part of again.

We have had a pro-hunter turned anti-ish who became a lamper post on here. He/she says that of the two, lamping is far more humane. They are in a very good position to know. I suspect that professional hunting with hounds is being compared with amateur lamping in the reports that suggest lamping is more cruel. There is nothing but lamping around here (and lots of it) and I have never in 19 years seen an injured fox, any signs of an injured fox, or one who died later of the effects of being shot.

What is it that there are people who cannot accept that there are perfectly valid and justifiable reasons for feeling that fox hunting with hounds is wrong? You may not agree, but it will get you nowhere to keep treating intelligent and informed people as if there is no validity whatsoever to their point of view.

 

[cptrayes]

Yes please - could we please deport ALL of them - to a far off planet from the one on which I live.
SC and the "townies" (the imported townies are 100 times worse actually - anyone ever lived or lives near one?) really should just mind their own business and let us country folk get on with what we have been doing for centuries.

Dancing bears were legal for centuries and every town had one. Congleton famously swapped its bible for one. Do you want that brought back too?

I'm sorry for you but in a democracy what you do IS my business. Go live in a dictatorship if you don't like it.

 

[SueEllen]

Just my opinion based on the original post (with no knowlege of what SC knows or doesnt know).

What worries me is that he has influence and could/probably has influenced people who dont know a thing about Hunting or would ever care to know anything about the sport.

If you think about the demographic of the UK whats the percentage of people living in the country versus the citys/suberbs?

Plus what about the natural ballance of life and death, which to me is what the countryside is all about, its just too easy for people who dont know any different to look at things with their Animals of Farthing Wood glasses on.

Now I am not saying that everyone in the country is pro and in the city anti, just generalising which I think its fair to do in this type of discussion.

 

[combat_claire]

You never seem to read my posts before jumping in do you??

I am fed up with these consistent allegations that hunts are routinely breaking the law. If you have evidence take it to the police, if you don't stop making unfounded allegations. Member of LACS, love it, Best giggle I've had in ages, so thank you.

From my experience of a range of packs across East Anglia, The South East and the West Country I am convinced that they are doing their best to comply with the law. I have seen my mates go out and lay a mid-week trail, in vile conditions for small numbers. I don't see any reason why hunts elsewhere wouldn't be doing the same.

I did not say that people like you 'won't hunt because it looks messy. Go back, read the paragraph again and you will see that what I actually said was it feels like SIMON COWELL [the man we are discussing in this thread, not your good self] has jumped on an anti-hunting band wagon based on a perception of it being messy.

I have no problem with you experiencing hunting and deciding it isn't for you. Indeed I have never implied that, you jumped to that conclusion. I have seen plenty of wounded foxes and carcasses left behind after lamping, so forgive me if I don't share the view that lamping is the solution.

I have never intended to treat people as if their view didn't matter, I apologise if it came over in that manner, but I also have my right to present my view on the issue.

 

[cptrayes]

Sue Ellen your generalisation is perfectly sensible and almost certainly true. The counter to it is to find a celebrity will equal impact who will talk for you every time a Simon Cowell talks against you.

Unfortunately Otis Reading won't do - it was his Dad I was in love with at 15 !

 

[SueEllen]

The fox is not ripped apart as you graphically claim, but is broken up by hounds once it is dead.

Yes, its well gone by the ripping apart stage.

Last year we had a half dead and gunshot infected fox crawl into the hay barn to die not very nice at all.