The Ugly Side of England

In my mind, England usually stands for civilization, good taste, good humor, fair play, and traditional democracy. But every so often, England shows its fallen side. Suddenly, the English government makes itself busy with persecution and prejudice, viciously restrictive laws designed for temporary political gain, and using the police to beat up anyone who protests.

But this time, it's not the Catholics, the Irish, the Scottish land clearances, the Welsh miners, skilled workers displaced by the Industrial Revolution, or poor factory workers displaced by the economy. No, this has nothing to do with imperialism or an abrupt upgrade of Britain's economy; indeed, it will only do economic harm. So this is purely selfless hate, hate which acts against England's very environmental well-being. Hate for hate's sake.

In short, they have banned all hunting with dogs, from that done by the lowliest villager to the richest foxhunting millionaire. They intend to bypass the House of Lords' veto if the Lords veto it. They have used the police to beat up perfectly nice, respectable, law-abiding citizens who dared go to Westminster to protest. (I knew they must pay the police for fighting something these days, since they obviously aren't fighting the decade-long surge in British crime.)

As with most wrong turns in English history, it is an idea of breathtakingly ruthless stupidity carried out beyond the point of reason. Nice to know that while all those rural hunting traditions are being ditched, the tradition of hunting down and hurting good citizens remains.