on comedians extremists abolitionists

On comedians, extremists, abolitionists, conservationists and bird murderers

Here we go again. The "St Hubertus Hunters" once again (in a letter in

today's The Malta Independent on Sunday), due to lack of basic

understanding of the English language, mistake ornithologists and/or

conservationists with abolitionists.

Let me state from the outset that the German organization The

Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), that participated in the

Malta Raptor Camp, is not an abolitionist organization. Some members

might be, but the organization, unlike Animal Rights Malta, does not

have an abolitionist agenda. The CABS agenda is only to stop illegal

hunting.

Mark Mifsud Bonnici, the secretary of the "St Hubertus Hunters" writes

a long and boring letter in today's the Malta Independent on Sunday, a

letter which is not the ideal read on a Sunday morning. I have made an

effort to read it in full, but I shall spare you most of the details.

Basically it is a wholly useless letter based on the misunderstanding

of the difference between abolitionists and conservationists, and a

misunderstanding and incorrect interpretation of a simple sentence in

the English language.

Mr Mifsud Bonnici writes: "A report in the local media made by The

Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), which states: 'CABS would

return to Malta for a longer stay and with more volunteers during the

spring hunting season and that it would continue its actions in Malta

`until hunting stops", amply shows the deceit of this extremist

organisation. It proves that the sole purpose of organising the

so-called 'raptor camps' is not the intended study of raptors and the

reporting of illegalities, which was the excuse used for their visit,

but an attempt to stop all hunting. An organisation that does not

distinguish between illegal shooting and shooting legal quarry (sic)

and claims to act 'against bird slaughter', can only be described as

extremist and as such its methods and reporting are to be evaluated on

this basis".

Now here is where Mr Mifsud Bonnici is gravely mistaken. When CABS

makes a statement that it will continue its actions in Malta until

hunting stops, Mr Mifsud Bonnici fails to take that sentence in its

proper context. Since CABS' aim is to stop illegal hunting, it is

understandable that if all hunting were to stop, there would be no

need for it to continue its monitoring and reporting of illegalities.

If there is no hunting, there is no illegal hunting. If there is

hunting, there might be illegal hunting. It's that simple.

In their own website, CABS state categorically: "The Committee Against

Bird Slaughter - CABS (Komitee gegen den Vogelmord e.V.) is an action

and operational society. By this we mean that we have a small

administration and executive board, without subordinate elements,

capable of rapid reaction whenever and wherever required. The route

from concept to final decision and implementation is often very short

so that when wildlife is acutely endangered we can act rapidly. We

have achieved a great deal since our foundation in 1975 through the

implementation of this concept.We intervene in particular where bird

trappers, hunters or animal traders commit offences against current

nature protection legislation in Europe. We are always concerned to

harmonise closely our activities with the responsible police, forest

or customs authorities. In addition, through initiatives at

parliamentary level, we attempt to achieve improvements in the legal

guidelines for wildlife, nature and species protection. We distant

ourselves fundamentally from militant actions or measures that do not

comply with the prevailing legislation in the country of operations".

Basically, this quoted paragraph says it all. CABS is not an

abolitionist organization. As for the charge of "extremism", I have

already dealt with the "St Hubertus Hunters" on that issue in several

blog posts, so I shall refrain from repeating myself here. It will

suffice for me to say that all prejudiced individuals, be they

racists, sexists, speciesists or whatever, see their opponents as

extremists.

Mr Mifsud Bonnici goes on to say that: "We would welcome bona fide

birdwatchers as readily as we would the reporting and prosecuting of

illegal shooting, but we will definitely not tolerate any society or

committee intent on banning hunting".

Interesting. So the "St Hubertus Hunters" will not tolerate any other

opinion than their own, and will not tolerate anyone who wants to

legally end hunting. Such are the "St Hubertus Hunters" democratic

credentials. Now, who are the extremists? It would also be interesting

to know how the "St Hubertus Hunters" would stop anyone (Maltese or

foreign) from legally working to ban all hunting, considering Malta is

a democracy, and particularly since now we are members of the European

Union. Does Mr Mifsud Bonnici perhaps intend to suggest to any

political party that people who campaign for the abolition of hunting

should be expelled from our country? Or perhaps that abolitionists who

legally wish to come to our country to conduct legal campaigns should

be barred from entering Malta? I'm sure democratic politicians would

take him very seriously if he would make such a suggestion. And what

if he does not make that suggestion? How would he plan to stop anyone

"intent on banning hunting"? Now here's a shocking revelation to Mr

Mifsud Bonnici: You cannot stop us legally.

Now here's an interesting question from Mr Mifsud Bonnici. He asks:

"Knowing full well the extent of illegalities that go on in other

countries, especially in Germany, has CABS asked the German government

to stop all hunting? Has the German government interfered with the

legal activities of the members of the German hunting federation?

Obviously this has not happened. So CABS picks on the small fry:

Malta!".

Now does not this contradict Mr Mifsud's claim in the same long and

boring letter that CABS are abolitionists who want to stop all

hunting? I leave it to intelligent readers to make up their own

conclusion. I don't think it requires much effort to see that the "St

Hubertus Hunters" are at best understandably very confused, seeing

that they are no longer allowed to do whatever they want, and seeing

that, particularly now that we are members of the European Union,

Europe's eyes are "on the small fry: Malta".

Mr Mifsud Bonnici concludes his letter by saying: "And yes we do kick

up a fuss when comedians put on such shows with the aim of blackening

the Maltese hunters' image".

Now, in view of Mr Mifsud Bonnici's persistently contradicting himself

in several of his letters, particularly in this one, when he both

claims that CABS both are and are not abolitionist, I ask: Who is the

real comedian? However, one thing's for sure. The mentality and

immoral practice of destroying the weak, and bullying and murdering

defenceless animals is no laughing matter. Despite the extremist and

undemocratic Mr Mifsud Bonnici's statement that they ("St Hubertus

Hunters") "will definitely not tolerate any society or committee

intent on banning hunting", true abolitionists will never stop working

towards the goal of the complete abolition of non-human animal murder.

As for "blackening the Maltese hunters' image", we shouldn't bother. I

believe that Mr Mifsud Bonnici is doing a pretty good job of that

himself, through his persistent bullying of (non-human) individuals

who are weaker than himself (perhaps it boosts his ego), through his