| Is hunting good for kids? Is shooting?
Why do they do it? How do they feel about taking the life
of an animal? Does hunting wild animals encourage violence
towards people? These are some of the questions addressed
in a new video, "Respect and Responsibility: The Truth
About Kids Who Hunt." |
| Producer Randall L. Eaton, Ph.D., went
to the kids and their parents for answers, then to leading
experts, including Michael Gurian, best-selling author of
several books on how to properly raise boys. Gurian says that
hunting teaches empathy and compassion, and that it would
be a more peaceful world if more men hunted. |
| Adolescent neuropsyschologist, Jim Rose
of the University of Wyoming, agrees with Gurian and adds
that shooting and hunting teach kids self-control, self-restraint
and sound judgement. |
| A professor of education at Northern Arizona
University, Don T. Jacobs, Ph.D., author of Teaching Virtues
Across the Curriculum, states that, "Hunting is the ideal way to teach young people universal
virtues including courage, fortitude, patience, generosity
and humility." According to Jacobs, humility is discovering
that you're part of something greater than yourself. |
| Also interviewed is forensic psychologist,
Helen Smith, Ph.D., author of Scarred Hearts
and the world's leading expert on youth violence.
Smith says that access to firearms does not cause youth
violence, and that teenagers need boundaries and responsibility,
which shooting and hunting provide when mentored by adults.
She suspects that the Columbine tragedy never would have happened
had the boys been properly mentored in hunting and shooting. |
| According to Eaton, hunting is justifiable
in terms of its enormous economic impacts and benefits to
environmental conservation. He said, "We all take life, but
for those who participate directly in it, the food chain becomes
a love chain. Look at Ducks Unlimited. Never have so few done
so much for the environment. They've permanently conserved
over eleven million acres of wetlands throughout North America
to the benefit of the entire living community." |
| Eaton added that the social justification
for hunting lies in its positive influence on the development
of our youth into compassionate, virtuous and responsible
adults who respect life and protect nature. |
|
VIDEO