FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, November 19, 1997
CONTACT:
Heidi Prescott, (301) 585-2591, hprescott@fund.org
Norm Phelps, (301) 739-7087, nphelps@fund.org
In a 31-page report issued this week, The Fund for Animals, the nation's largest and most aggressive anti-hunting organization, exposed a massive nationwide campaign by the hunting and firearms industries to promote sport hunting to America's children.
"Killing Their Childhood": How Public Schools and Government Agencies are Promoting Sport Hunting to America's Children documents the decline of hunting in the U.S. and the desperation of the firearms and hunting industries to prevent the demise of a sport that every year brings in nearly $21 billion -- four times what Americans spend on movie theater tickets.
State wildlife agencies, which are funded by the sale of hunting licenses and an excise tax on firearms and ammunition, have become willing allies of the hunting industry. The agencies use public money and employees to recruit children through special hunts and hunter education classes conducted in schools. The Fund's report reveals that 42 states conducted children's hunts -- some with no minimum age -- during the 1996-97 hunting season, an increase from 30 states in 1995.
At least half of the states acknowledged that they are aware of hunter training classes being taught on school time as part of junior high and high school curricula. Public schools are being bombarded with videos and curriculum units from pro-hunting organizations such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an umbrella group for the firearms industry. The NSSF received $330,000 in federal grants to put pro-hunting videos in grade 4-12 classrooms across the country.
Says Norm Phelps, The Fund for Animals' program coordinator and author of the report, "The government does not use Joe Camel to promote cigarettes to children, and they should not use hunting to promote guns to children either. Young people have a natural affinity for animals, and our schools and our state agencies should encourage that kindness, not killing."
To see a copy of "Killing Their Childhood" call (301) 585-2591 or click here.
