Opposers of the Fair Bear Hunt initiative like to claim that it is the first step in a master plan by the Humane Society of the U.S. to ban all hunting. That may be one of their principles, but they know spending time and effort to bring it about is unnecessary. Hunting will die a natural death in the U.S., just like slavery, amputating limbs without anesthetic, and other practices made unacceptable and unnecessary by modern sensitivity and technology.

Unfortunately, the HSUS has more serious and widespread forms of animal cruelty to combat, including factory farming, unnecessary and inhumane animal research/testing, puppy mills, dog fighting, and other forms of animal abuse and neglect occurring in this country. And cruelty is what Question 1 is about. It does not ban all hunting of bears, only the cruel practices of trapping, hounding and baiting.

With an IQ over 140, four college degrees, and having studied environmental conservation at Cornell University, I wasn’t influenced by the HSUS or anyone else when I spent months last year gathering signatures as part of a grassroots effort to place Question 1 on this year’s ballot.

Look at the thousands of “no” signs that have been lining Maine highways since early September and ask yourself which side of the issue is really being supported by special interests. Maine policies have always been influenced by outside organizations ”“ better those which oppose cruelty than those in favor of killing and widespread ownership of automatic weapons.

Yes on 1.

Lynn Manley, North Berwick