Who are "antis"

There are three types of people in this world. There are hunters, antis and those that do not mind what other people do. I hunt, both for food and also as a pest controller. My pest control business is solely foxes, they are intelligent, beautiful animals who command my utter respect but in certain circumstances they need to be killed. I have had many conversations over the years with people who wrinkled their noses when I told them what I do for a living. Most people have serious misconceptions when it comes to the shooting of foxes, they equate anything that involves the death of a fox by human actions with fox hunting. "The unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible" as Oscar Wilde once said. That statement when analysed for a moment speaks volumes about the class structure in England.

Fox hunting on horseback has been the preserve of the privileged since time immemorial and those who are privileged are envied by some who are less so. The less fortunate will find reasons to deride those who are more fortunate in the game of life. This makes those who hunt foxes on horseback a target for derision on moral grounds. The “antis” are against hunting and therefore, in their own minds, morally superior. This is how they reason things out. The mindset is a simple one, they disagree with the actions of another person therefore they are morally superior. Often we see in the belief system of the “antis” the root of either vegetarianism or veganism, this will then expand into other areas where they can exercise their moral superiority. As the joke goes, how can you tell a vegetarian at a party? They will tell you they are within the first five minutes. A vegan will be wearing a t-shirt proclaiming it so everyone knows that they are looking down upon those tucking into the rump steak.

This mindset has its roots in communist ideology, indeed it led to the extermination of the privileged in Russia. Alas for the antis this would be frowned upon by the authorities and involve long spells in prison. They use the threat of violence rather than violence itself because the latter would have serious consequences. As David Thorne said, “the internet is a playground” and the “antis” are the children therein. I have seen private messages on social networks from these people that wish children dead in horrific ways. This on the basis that the parent they are bullying support fox hunting, deer hunting or even the crime of eating meat. Yet they still consider themselves morally superior. Can you hear the crowds with pitchforks and torches mumbling in the distance?

The unfortunate truth for them is that fox hunting on horseback has been illegal since the Labour party decided to put one over on the “toffs” There have been few prosecutions under the anti hunting legislation since it came onto the statute books. This has led to a dilemma for the hunt saboteurs or “sabs” as they prefer to be called. Who do they look down upon now? Let explain before I go further. “Antis” and “sabs” are to all intents and purposes one and the same thing. The only thing they have done is to start calling themselves “hunt monitors” instead of saboteurs. It sounds friendlier when mentioned in the media.

The government sanctioned the badger cull to reduce bovine tuberculosis and the hunt saboteurs now have their new cause célèbre.