THAT DEER: “In my family, and my husband’s family, we wait with
barely contained anticipation to examine what our hunters bring
home.”
Kristie Bentley of Virginia Beach, Va., was among those who took
no offense to the photo we ran on the second day of deer
season.
“It is just a part of life. Nothing shocking or offensive. We
all pitch in and butcher the deer, dividing the meat between family
and friends. I find movies from the horror genre to be more
offensive and shocking than a deer hanging,” she added.
“And I hardly think this is the first deer the outraged Era
readers have ever seen. Not if they have lived in the area for more
than one hunting season. To be fair, I realize that not all of us
are hunters, but people have grown soft in our orderly,
Saran-wrapped, sanitized meat case at the grocery store world here
in America. I agree with one reader that deer are majestic and
beautiful! They are also quite tasty.
“Having never met the cow, they will gladly eat their hamburger
or steak. I suggest that these readers visit the nearest
meat-packing plant before their next hamburger. Maybe then they
will take up the plight of beef cattle, hogs, and chickens. These
animals are treated far worse on a daily basis than the cleanly
killed animal in the hotly debated photo.”
Two more today, more tomorrow:
Skip Riekofsky, Kushequa: “Bradford was undoubtedly first
settled by hunters, trappers, all ‘gun totin” people and a nice
buck was definitely newsworthy then and now. Are all these critics
vegetarians? Have they ever had their family to a grocery store
where they display all those ‘disgusting’ beef roasts, pork chops,
and chicken legs? There are alot of places to live in one of our
fine American cities where a nice buck isn’t quite so
newsworthy.”
Roxanne Cooper, Grover, N.C.: “I saw the article on the Era
online and not once did a thought of disgust run through my mind.
Do I hunt? No, but grew up in a family of hunters. To those who
were ‘sickened’ by the picture, grow up! I’ve seen worse in
roadkill while traveling to work.”
