[One Eye]

Well, I get home this evening and open the local rag (Muskegon Chronicle). Guess what I find in the Editorial section? An editorial from the Flint Journal railing on the "terrible" killers who want to shoot doves.

This editorial was so strife with misinformation, that I almost gagged. The whole gist was that there aren't enough doves for a huntable population, "they aren't really edible, and they are not pests to crops." The piece goes on to take the position that those who want to shoot doves want to for some sick perversion, and no other reason. I am so offended. I do not shoot anything that I will not eat, and I will ask for a retraction as well as equal space for an informed perspective!

I am simply livid. I need to take a deep breath before I write my letter to the editor with some actual facts. What is clear here is that the hunting community and the supporters in the legislature have failed miserably in educating the public on the distinct differences of "bird feeder, city doves" and wild doves.

The cards are on the table, and I bet this one goes down in flames!

Dan

 

[Steve]

And their email address would be.........

 

[Linda G.]

Hamilton Reef posted about this on the MON board, said it's the same article that ran in the Flint Journal a week or so ago...yes, we need an email address...please!

As for educating legislators and anti-hunters, Sue Tabor and some of the pro dove legislators were doing just that today, in the state of Ohio near Bowling Green, taking any and all interested congressmen and women from both the House and the Senate on a dove hunt. Although I was invited to tag along, I just couldn't do it, unfortunately....let's hope a LOT of legislators got an education in what dove hunting is REALLY all about!!

 

[scottyhoover]

The flint journal is off and running with this dove hunting thing. Anyone read Andy Heller's opinion column last week? Half of it portrayed hunters who talk with a Elmer Fudd lisp. It was so dumb I told my mother to cancel her subscription. I wish I could remember more details but it was so absurd it isn't really worth it. And to think, this guy walks by my building every day to work out at the rec center. The flint journal is right across the street from where I work and I get mad just looking at the building. My step brother writes for the Oceana County Herald.....owned by the same craphole of a company Booth. He gets to do plenty of articles about hunting and fishing.....too bad the GRP and the FJ suck so bad.

 

[jpollman]

I did a search for "Muskegon Chronicle" and came up with an address to email the editor. Here it is :

http://www.muskegonchronicle.com/emaileditor/

Go get 'em !

 

[Sawcat]

http://www.flintjournal.com/ask/index.html#LettertoEditor
This is a link to e-mail the editor of the FLint Journal, let's light up the e-mail box with some facts and well reasoned arguments. Eric

 

[Zeboy]

I agree that we need to bombard these newspapers with factual arguements. . . but this type of journalism is down right irresponsible.

It sure would be nice to have a Gander Mountain, Cabelas, Jays, Dunhams, MC, Bass Pro. . . or other major advertisers on our side. We can vent all we want and try to educate the public but until it hits them in the pocketbook they will continue to print this bias B.S.!

If a mojor advertiser pulled adds because of the editorials . . . then the message would get accross. I'm not sure how did get these folks on board, maybe someone here may have some ideas.

Anyone care to guess how much sporting goods store would benefit from a dove season???

 

[DuckMan]

I just read an article from Flint Journal writer David Graham last night blasting his own newspaper about the editorial on Doves. Here is is: http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1062690600300950.xml?fljournal?SCDG The best quote from the article

Even without being a dove hunter, I knew those claims were ridiculous. Only a newspaper editor or a bird lover who doesn't know anything about hunting and hunters would believe such claims. Keep in mind that these are the same guys who predicted that Michigan's new concealed weapons law two years ago would result in shootouts over traffic accidents.

I saw the Andy Heller article as well. This is it (http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1062328801233650.xml?fljournal?NEAH) He is a real doofus when it comes to talking about hunting. He is from the UP as well.....you would think he would have been around hunting enough to understand, but I guess not. He is a funny guy most times, but his stance on hunting baffles me.

I couldn't find the original article and somehow I missed it in the newspaper, but here are a few more pages from the Journal on the subject. Some good, some bad:

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1061996022286260.xml?fljournal?NELE

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1061909831127020.xml?fljournal?NELE

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/106182344434500.xml?fljournal?NELE

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/106182345634500.xml?fljournal?NELE

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1062514556135830.xml?fljournal?NELE

http://www.mlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1062602624124100.xml?fljournal?NELE

 

[One Eye]

jpollman, thanks for posting the link for the editor. I got really busy this week at work, and couldn't get online till tonight.

I have written a response to the newspaper taking them to task for printing this garbage! This will be a really nasty fight, and we need to dig in and continue recruiting supporters. I have asked relatives and friends (especially those who don't hunt) to write their legislators to encourage them to allow the biologists to make these decisions.

Dan