posted
Ok...so Michigan has for the past 100 years protected Doves as songbirds. But now someone has proposed to change Doves from songbird status to hunting status.
Why? No idea.
But it's become a bit of a controversy up here. I think that Doves should NOT be hunted. My reasoning is mostly aesthetic. They are like the Mockingbirds, harmless, innocent, cute, and most importantly, music making. Also, even though I am an agnostic, I think the icon of the Dove is important as a symbol for peace and spirituality. As our own OSC said, a society makes public statements on its values by the laws it passes.
Some say that the Doves are in no way endangered and are actually a challenge to hunt (I can't really see why since they are so slow and make lots of noise when they fly) and are tasty to eat. I'm all for killing for eating… I love a good cow, chicken, and pig now and then… But some animals, I think, should be more protected for their beauty and what they bring to a community, by their music and/or the symbol they represent.
The opposition to Dove hunting has not really talked about this in court or in chambers, but has instead talked about the poisons that Doves shots will leave in the ground. This reminds me of when the NRA was trying to defend the Second Amendment, not by talking about how an armed society is a free society and insurance against tyranny, but how we need guns to hunt (when we don't really need to hunt anymore but for pleasure).
Anyway, so I'm talking to my friend, also an agnostic but a bit more anti-religion, about why I don't think Doves should be hunted, and he calls my arguments "religious" and claims they are not valid. I don't think my thinking is religious at all. So the question is how can I get my friend, as I see it, not to think of my reasoning as religious in nature? Or is my reasoning religious? I don't think it is… but who knows…
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Turtle doves (also called evening doves) are frequently hunted in Kansas and other areas of the mid-west. Only this one species of dove, as far as I know, are considered game birds.
I don't have strong feelings one way or another about this particular issue. There is a huge population of turtle doves in our area, and the hunting doesn't make a dent. On the other hand, I also love their evening cooing song.
I have eaten them before (when someone else hunted them -- I don't hunt). Tasted kind of like chicken gizzards, for those of you who eat that -- except not as tough. But most hunters don't bother hunting doves, because it takes a lot of dove to make a decent size meal. No much meat on them.
I'm assuming that is the variety of dove you are speaking about.
There may be a reason why they opened up dove hunting. The biggest one I could think of would be over population leading to human disease. This happens a lot with waterfowl polluting lakes and such. I'm not sure if it would happen with doves though.
On the other hand, you might strengthen your argument by comparing doves to eagles, another bird that has a lot of symbolism in our country. There are places where eagles are not endangered(think Alaska, some of the upper San Juan islands in WA), but there are still laws against hunting them, because they are the symbol of national pride. As a society we have assigned values of patriotism, strength, and courage to eagles, whether the actual bird embodies them or not is another story.
On a more global scale doves are a symbol peace. It is ironic for them to be killed violently. A part of it is their coloring, white for purity, and also their soft cooing sound which is soothing to hear. You could also point out that other game species abound, there is no lack of hunting opportunities. Mostly though, you can liken killing a dove or an eagle to flag burning. It is a direct affront to those who believe and support an ideal. Killing a dove is not more reprehensible than killing any other animal, but flagrantly destroying a symbol of peace, something to which all people ought to aspire, is sad, and in trying to convince others not to hunt doves, you are trying to awaken their sensibilities to a sympathy with the rest of humanity as well as to other animals that we share this earth with.
Posts: 349 | Registered: May 2003
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Farmgirl, I think that's the kind... up here they are called Mourning Doves. They are grey in colour and make a beautiful and sad cooing song. Hence the "mourning" in mourning dove.
[ April 23, 2004, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: Telperion the Silver ]
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Telperion -- I wonder if your feelings aren't religious, but possibly cutist? That is, you don't want to see the doves killed because they are so cute, like baby seals? I don't know you, but is that a possiblity?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Why kill them? They don't pose a threat to anyone. A person doesn't have to have a religion to object to useless killing of an animal. I think it's wasteful.
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