killing butterflies for fun???

[Neil Jones]

On Wednesday 03 July 2002 09:51 pm, jh wrote:
> Not to get into this wasteful argument, nor do I mean to defend what seems
> to be the resurrected Joseph Sugar, but is it really necessary to point out
> that there is a difference in most people's minds between unavoidable
> collisions with insects whilst driving and actively collecting?  While I
> have no beef with insect collectors or collecting (when done responsibly),
> it does no one any good to use absurd arguments when defending a position.

Absolutely right. I have made this point myself on numerous occasions.
The car casualty argument is actually a very very poor point. It _obviously_ 
doesn't address the issue. When you use an invalid argument it tends to 
discredit your case.

<snip>

>
> While I am not a collector, many of the people I respect most in this field
> do kill bugs - for hobby as well as science - and I enjoy seeing their
> collections - and am grateful they exist!  But I would expect that none of
> them would argue in support of their pastime or vocation with that
> over-used car casualty scenario.
>
> Stan - I don't mean to come down on you - this might seem like a rant over
> a picayune point - but I guess I read this driving thing just one too many
> times.

You are right. It is a bad argument to advance. The real issue is that some 
people, misguidedly in my opinion, think it is always wrong to _deliberately_ 
set out to kill insects. This is not what you do when you are driving. 
Insect deaths then are incidental and accidental.


--
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/
NOTE NEW WEB ADDRESS
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve

 
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