Hey, in LA, it probably could happen. Similar situtation in France,
were the multiculturalist attitude seeks not assimilation, but
independent cultural groups co-existing. In the L.A. area, you
have a massive influx of mexican immigrants (many illegal) who do
not wish to become American citizens. They live as if they were in
Mexico, except taking the benifits of America, including free
schooling. They do not become American, and fail to become
part of society. That means they stay isolated, and poor, and it
gives them an excuse for their situation.

In other parts of the US, first generation natural born mexicans
(children of immigrants) are indistinguishable from anybody else.
They are as American as anybody. They have their family’s
culture, but they’re no different,a nd they’re just as sucessful as
anyobe else. NC has a huge and increasing mexican population.
But they’re, fo rthe most part, becoming part of the culture.
California’s policies on illegal immigrants will eventually lead to a
big blowup. It’s only a matter of time.

It’s these isolated groups of people that have no desire to become
part of, and contribute to, American culture, that are problems.

I could see something like that happen in some of those areas. It
wold be interesting to see how it’s handled. Arnold would put his
foot down, I believe, more quickly than Jacques did.

Millionaires going for lions? I don’t think so. A co worker of
mine has gone to Africa a few times, and he makes less than
$40,000. He just saved up. Got a leopard, wart hog and a
buffalo. Trophy hunting. Not for me, personally, but I can see the
thrill in it. It just isn’t something I’d do, I don’t think I’d enjoy
killing a predator unless it was trying to kill me o rsomeone else.
THEN I’d put it on a wall… I just wouldn’t go looking for one for
that purpose.

Besides, how do you think these poor african countries maintain
their game lands and prevent poachers from killing endangered
animals – hunting permits and safaris. Kill a few animals here,
save hundreds there.

Australia is fine – I like their accents.
I do not like elitst sounding english accents – like the one Madonna
has ended up with. Everyday english-citizen accents are fine.

NJ accents (like the one I have when I let myself go) are abarsive,
confrontational, and not pleasent. Some areas are really bad.
Where I grew up, people there now speak wiht a combined
NY/NJ Italian/ spanish/puerto rico/ inner city accent. It’s pretty
bad.

In fact, the Sopranos takes place where I grew up. The nudie
bar, Bada-bing, is Satin dolls, a go-go bar 10 minutes from my
house. My best friend installed the plumbing there.
People are killed on the show at places I used to go all the time.
I’d like to say th eaccents are over the top, and th ebehavior is
fake… but every time I go back I’m reminded that it’s not.

My accent throws people off down here in the South. I’m very
loud, with a heavy, mean sounding NJ mobster accent – I’m
Sicilian so waddaya ‘spect? People see me, a big, mean-looking
guy with a heavy mobster accent and they think I’m mean.

Varminting is purely done for sport, for fun, as a test of skill. It’s
not at all like hunting for deer, bear or turkey.

It’s cruel, and the only skills practiced in it coudl be done with
non-living targets. For me, there’s not much to be gained from it.
Any fun in killing varmits woudl be outweighed by the shear
meanness of killing for fun only.

Here’s where you are wrong.

Most hunter’s have respect for the animals they hunt. They use
what they kill, and hunt for more than just the killing part.

Using varmint hunting as a justification for opposing deer hunting is
senseless – they’re different.

People go and hunt deer for the experience, the challenge, the thrill
and the meat.

Other people go and shoot praire dogs to watch them explode
into a cloud of blood and fur.

We’re talking about two entirely different mindsets here.

And humans aren’t the only animals that kill for fun. I’ve seen sea
lions, killer whales and dolphins do it. Cats will do it too – though
they are domesticated.

There is a distinction between hunting and killing an animal for the
sake of hunting it and eating it, and simply killing an animal to kill it.

I know of a few people that will go into a field andblast doves out
of the air all day, and just dump them into a ditch when they’re
done. I think that’s stupid, senseless cruelty, just like you do.

Southern accents are far more pleasant than northern ones… I’m
from NJ, and I cringe when I go back there. I can’t believe that I
actually talk like that… You watch a mob show based in NY/Nj
and think the way they talk is exaggerated, think again.

It’s not that bad, actually. You want a bad accent, try a new
england accent. California accents can be really annoying as
well.

Too often, people think what they see in the news or on vacation
as being indicative of what it’s like to live somewhere.

I actually have a friend who is a Sudanese muslim. He loves his
country, and would someday like to return. He’s described a lot
of really beautiful things about it. And some very ugly things.
Even though he’s a muslim, he faces racisim by the arabs, because
he is African. he’s a typical, light skinned north african – many
americans wouldn’t even call him black. The Arabs made his life
miserable.

I wouldn’t want to live in Florida. Too low to the ground, too
many hurricanes. It’s overrated, even by americans. Sure, you’re
an hour from eithe rthe gulf coast or the atlantic, have tropical
weather year round, disneyworld, universal studios, and sea world
– and you get to see every space shuttle launch.
What good is it if your home is subject to destruction every year
from June to November?

There were numerous things we all once had to do for ourselves,
but surely mankind has only advanced through the division of
labour, by each of us specialising in different things and sharing the
fruits of our labours.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“From each according to his abilities, to each according to his
needs.”

So let other people do that work for you, because you don’t “have
to”? Just because something isn’t necessary isn’t a reason not to
do it. If I enjoy hunting and killing and eating an animal, it’s my
right to do it. Just because I can pay someone else to do it for
me, absolvign myself of work that is “beneath me’, doesn’t mean
I’m obligated to do it. Meat isn’t a necessary evil – why is it
people get so guilty about nature.

Predators and prey = nature
we’re predators, we kill and eat – that’s natural. No guilt, not evil,
just the natural way of things. You want to feel bad for the
animals, fine.

Do not become so enamoured with yourself that you consider
yourself to be apart from nature, and all it’s bloodshed and
suffering. Humans are not above nature, nor are we separate from
it. Every thing we do impacts nature just as much as any other
animal.

Nature does not garuntee a pain free living. A starving deer feels
pain, as does one that is shot through the heart, or ripped apart by
wolves. Unless you shoot them right in the head ( actually, many
hunters do this when they’re just going for meat), they’re going to
suffer somewhat.

Varminting is a sport that’s derived from the necessary killing of
pests. Groundhogs and prarie dogs are agricultural pests, and
destroy crops and cropland. Now, it’ s just a thing to do for fun.
check out http://www.explodinggroundhog.com for details. I wouldn’t,
though…

Hunters contribute more to protecting nature than
environmentalists. Hunters pay qite a bit for their liscenses. In
NC, it’s $40 for a sportsmen’s liscense, which let’s me go for deer,
turkey, bear, some fowl, and fish, includign trout. Migratory
waterfowl and doves are a little extra. NC is one of the cheapest
states too.

It’s only contradictory if you don’t have an understanging of nature,
the environment and biological systems. Killing a deer, a bear or
anyhting else for that matter does not harm nature. As long as
hunting is regulated, it’s not harmful. In most cases, it’s more than
beneficial, it’s a crucial part of nature’s balance. The money
collected goes to enforcing regulations and sustainable forestry
practices. In the end, it helps protect the environment.

What’s contradictory is when environmentalists collect money to
save the forest, and use it to prohibit forestry operations in an
attempt at “preserving” the forest. In time, this leads to massive
forest fires and a truely devastating incident.

Managed forestry and selective harvesting of trees simply replaces
the natural regenerative process of limited burning. Burnign is
somewhat incompatible with civilization, so in many cases, forestry
is the only alternative.

An individual deer isn’t nature, it’s a component in nature. Just as
the food the deer eats, the trees, the rivers and streams – and the
things that help balance it all out – predators, fire, drought, and
disease. All are important, necesaary aspects of a healthy,
sustainable ecosystem. Problem is, predators are predators to us
as well as deer. Being the top predators, we’ve pushed out out
competition and rivals – it’s a prudent thing to do. Nobody wants
to run the risk of being torn apart by wolves, or ambushed by a
cougar every time they venture in the woods. As we supplant
these other predators, we must also replace them. IF they ar ento
there to fil their niche, we must do so, or else the whole system
becomes unbalanced. In Eastern NC, deer are all over the place.
Contrary to what’s popularly believed, humans don’t just hunt the
healthy, big bucks. Sure, they’r esought after,bu ut hunting limits in
overpopulated areas are slanted heavily in favor of killing does.
Here, you can’t kill more than 2 bucks, but you can kill as many as
5 does a season, per person. In th emountains, you can only kill
does on the very last day of the season, and only one at that.