We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one.

Ehm, no, not me. We have had some discussions about hunting in the past. Hubby is pro hunting, a friend from Canada is pro hunting, then there are three women who are against it as a sport, because it is cruel and we think killing as a sport is wrong. I am one of them three. Ok, protagonists and antagonists have assembled, let the games begin. ... You can imagine that an argument about something like hunting could come to a bloody ending. :) This is because if you have an opinion about it, you are usually an uncompromising proponent or opponent. And then again,  I could understand why hunting is nothing to be condemned completely, though I have done so most of my life. This being said by a former vegetarian who did not eat any kind of meat for fifteen years because of the cruel ways animals are killed in abattoirs.
Anyway, what I found most convincing was the point of view that I heard from our Canadian friend. He is from a wild area in Western Canada, where the next major city is several hours away. Trees everywhere, more deer, wolves and bears than people. He said he grew up with hunting and had learned that even before he came out of his diapers. His father would shoot some animal and they would actually eat the meat, keep the fur or sell it. Using guns is normal for him too, accordingly. He likes the excitement that comes with hunting, some of it is sports, but he never lost this attitude that it is done for the food.
Actually, I could understand that reasoning. Probably because it has never occurred to me before that modern western people go hunting for food, because they live in the real wilderness. The biggest wilderness around here is a nearby park with big trees and nice squirrels. You find young and old people there, sitting on benches or playing football, but no deer or bears. 
Of course, I don't like bloodshed of any kind and if an animal (e.g. Bambi) looked at me with its big brown eyes, I would take it home and could not shoot and eat it. But I understood that it is acceptable or even important to do in areas with wild animals or where you don't have shops to get food from.
I, in contrast, am a complete city-girl. In my life, wild animals exist in zoos only and outside, the wildest I have ever seen was Bambi together with his friends. So, hunting was never something I found interesting at all, and because I don't like it when animals are killed, I could never do something like that, since it is cruel and causes so much pain. And still, I cannot deny that there also is some truth in the reasons given for hunting.

Hubby has admonished me repeatedly to listen to what people have to say, listen for the message and understand, instead of jumping to conclusions which just satisfy my own prejudices. I know he is right with that and even though you would never find me shooting at Bambi, it was really easy to understand what was said, instead of protesting without accepting the others' point of view.


For those of you with little ones, here's the link with the complete lyrics + video for the activities.

I only found this link after I had written my text. There was no need to look for it sooner, because I have hubby, who knows most of it by heart, movement and noises included. Watching him doing all that was hilarious, because he could not sit, but had to do it walking around. :)

P.S. I know this was completely off-topic again, but sometimes I just have to do some rambling.