m.e. nu nu wrote:
It looks as if I am just repeating my atlanta pride when i subject this meme. however, i refer to a little known, or perhaps very well known now, American Indian weapon that's pretty cool. The Atlatl (or Atl-Atl, pronounced kindof like At-Lah-Tle) has been causing some controversy for the past couple months i suppose in Pennsylvania. I hope no one has posted about this since it is my first post on memestreams, and i'm not exactly sure how it works, but apparently it's wicked cool. Anyway

This is the story that i'm linking..
http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_3520369

I'm vegan. And not for the health benefits. I'm a pretty radical animal rights defender. But, I disagree again with most animal rights defenders when it comes to the ATLATL. Let it GO! Basically, this is an ages old hunting tool that takes great skill to throw. While I would never hunt, and think hunting is a little stupid and a lot cruel/dangerous (*begin shameless plug* just ask Harry Whittington */end shameless plug*) I think it's absurd to attack this one and insignificant facet of animal rights. The problem is NOT local hunting, but the Slaughtering-Industrial Complex that has become the family farm. Apparently, Animal rights groups are focusing on the legality of a million-year-old hunting tool because it "kills animals inhumanely." Let me repeat that, KILLS them INHUMANELY. Let's be honest, who can think of a HUMANE way to KILL someone?! I can't. Let the 10 atlatl hunters in the world throw their javalins and instead focus on the atrocities that are factory farming. Ugh! That and Atlatl is really REALLY fun to say. just try it. atlatl.... atlatl...

I'm actually really glad to hear someone say this. I was first exposed to this issue via the Daily Show (I know... but hey... it's funny!) and I have to concur with you. There's sooo much more to get angry and upset and mobilize effort around besides this. I'm an animal lover too. I also only eat organicly raised meat if I can find it. I abhor the factory farming mentality and have tried to become vegan several times over the last 10 years in protest. I honestly belief that it's only a matter of time before a large scale pestilence hits the US because of the practices and methods used (mad cow will be nothing compared to this!).

But I also hunt and I can tell you that hunting in its optimal form is not about sport. [Ted Nugent Mode]It's about understanding the delicate chain of dependancy we have on the natural resources of our planet. If more people hunted, we'd probably have *more* animal lovers and *less* factory farming. The reason being that once you understand what it means to support yourself with another living thing, and the entire process that's necessary to do it, you have a far higher appreciation for how it impacts us all. And you become a defender of those resources rather than an abuser.[/Ted]

In the end, this is another example of people being penny wise and pound foolish. With all of the strife, short sighted behavior, and pure self destructive behavior in our society, the atlatl hardly qualifies as even a spec of dust on the radar. Chances are, the people who are hunting with this weapon are very much in tune with this balance.

RE: ATLATL!