Opinion: Congress has managed to make the ‘sport’ of hunting in Alaska more contemptible

To the editor: For Congress to roll back a federal ban on inhumane methods of hunting in Alaska wildlife refuges, as described in your article, is a new low. Thank you for shining a spotlight on this terrible vote. (“Congress votes to allow controversial hunting practices in Alaska,” March 24)

States’ rights? Subsistence hunting rights? These pat phrases are a smokescreen to cover the underlying agenda of the National Rifle Assn. and Safari Club International — two backers of the repeal — to commit slaughter for “sport.”

Since 1994, Alaska has had “predator control laws” allowing the killing of certain animals in appalling ways. Even a majority of Alaskans supported the federal rule put in place in 2016 to stop such practices, according to a poll last year by the Remington Research Group. Now, just a year later, we are going backward to that dark time.

This was a shameful vote by Congress.

Mary Clumeck, Santa Ana

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