* Id:  Hunting
* Revision:  2
* State:  approved
*
* Log:
* Revision 1  1998/11/04  Jefferey P. Hart <ehart04@snet.net>
* Initial submitted version.
*
* Checked-out  1999/05/07  Roel van der Meulen <vdmeulen@strw.leidenuniv.nl>
*
* Checked-in with
* Revision 2  1999/09/14  Roel van der Meulen <vdmeulen@strw.leidenuniv.nl>
* Edited and author-approved.
*
* Checked-out  1999/12/15  Mark Seaborn <mseaborn@bigfoot.com>

%t Hunting, Why We Should Not Refrain From
%n 8R A/Cd
%s Discusses Stress, Killing Things, And Modern Morality
%a Jefferey P. Hart  (jprefect@hotmail.com) 
%d 19990111
%i Psychopath, The Benefits Of Being A
%i Instinctual Repression, The Ills Of
%i Repression Of Instincts, The Ills Of
%x Aggressive Shopping
%x Sanity, The Problem Of
%x Football
%x Towels
%e
Webster's defines a psychopath as "a person suffering from a mental disorder
characterized by aggressive, antisocial behavior."  To contradict an
authority, I instead prefer my own definition, "a person who allows their 
predatory habits to dictate their behavior."  I believe that it is necessary
to become a psychopath for at least an hour for the sake of sanity and 
well-being.  Although it is often ignored, the fact is that human beings are
at least partly a predatory species, and that sort of repression is bound to
cause unnecessary stress.  The urge to pursue, and catch, prey is (at least
in males) a basic instinct, which is often denied for moral reasons, lack of
prey, ecological concerns, the desire to please one's mate, or any of a 
plethora of other obstacles.

Just knowing the reasons does not, of course, actually help alleviate the 
stress, although replacement activities are available which allow that 
valuable psychopathic time.  Good substitutes for hunting include 
target-shooting, cat-teasing, and `Whack-a-Mole.'  (Sports are not included 
for reasons later discussed.)  Target shooting is like hunting, but without 
actually having to kill anything; cat-teasing involves stalking an animal 
with better senses than you; and `Whack-a-Mole' really speaks for itself.

There is no perfect substitute for actually hunting, though.  If you can't 
go out and hunt big game, or even medium-sized game (like me), it doesn't 
necessarily mean you can't hunt.  Even in a residential area, squirrels and 
birds can be shot with a pellet gun (squirrels generally survive.)  And if 
that isn't your [1] piece of pie, then you can always hunt indoors, like I
do.  Hunting indoors is really quite simple:  first, let some flies and/or
mosquitos into the house.  Secondly, get a fly swatter (a rolled-up hand
towel will do -- I prefer it) and hunt flies.

While you hunt, you unconsciously slip back into the old, primitive mind-set
which kept our ancestors fed for millennia.  Your breathing slows, your
metabolic rate goes up, your circulation increases, your muscles reach peak
agility, and your senses sharpen.  In many ways, it is better than 
meditation.  Be careful not to feel any malice towards your prey, and 
especially do not imagine them as representations of your enemies, boss, or 
anyone else.  That sort of thing can form unhealthy connections, and can
eventually lead to the type of behavior that gives psychopaths a bad image.

Sports are an unacceptable substitute for hunting [2].  Although they are a 
solution to a number of other instinct-related problems, they tend to 
fulfill a different set of needs.  Mock battles, (such as both European and 
American football) for instance, are necessary, but do nothing for the 
hunting urge.  There are, or course, other substitutes for these as well, 
but that's a wholly other article.

Everyone should hunt just a little bit, for the sake of their sanity and 
well-being.  If we could all just stop denying our basic instincts, there 
would be that less stress in the world.  Maybe hunting could make us all 
happier, and better adjusted psychopaths.

[1] Ed. Note:  "Isn't this incredibly cruel?"  Author's note: "Fuck 'em."
[2] Perhaps the most disturbing alternative is paintball, a sport which 
    involves a group of humans consenting to shoot one another.  This
    "sport" combines conventional tactics and competition with many skills
    central to hunting, such as stealth and stalking.  These, it appears,
    are what draws people to this particular game.  There was a point to
    this footnote, but it would seem to have wandered off in search of a bit
    to drink.
%e
*EOA*