If you've read the Pilot in the past week, then you've certainly seen the photo of the young girl holding a hunting rifle on the front page. The little girl in the photo known as "The Little Hunter" is a Girl Scout in my Brownie Troop. She is a great child and I look forward to seeing her at our meetings.

What you may not realize is that her parents have taken a lot of heat about letting their daughter hunt. I don't know that they would have let the paper cover the story if they would have known that they would become the target of dozens of nasty phone calls and letters to the editor.

(Here's the article if you haven't read it - http://www.thepilot.com/stories/20080109/news/local/20080109HUNTER.html)

Personally, I think Emma's passion for hunting is wonderful. It is something she does with her father and thoroughly enjoys. She is not focused on the dark aspects of hunting (like killing, butchering, etc) but on the sport on it. She loves sitting in the woods quietly, watching the animals and observing nature. She also enjoys being a good marksman which I think is very empowering for a young girl.

My husband is a hunter. He grew up in the woods of Arkansas and got his first rifle at ten. For me, that's a foreign concept having grown up in a house with no guns. However, since I married a man from the country I also accepted that hunting would be a part of our life as well as our childrens. And although I have no interest in sitting in the dark, cold woods on a chilly November morning, I totally support his desire to do it and hope that at least one of our daughters shares his passion.

So, here's my letter to the editor just in case it doesn't make the cut!

Congrats to Emma! 

When I say the article about Emma, the little hunter, I couldn't help but smile. You see, Emma, is one on my Girl Scouts and an absolute joy to be around. She is smart, compassionate and always grinning. So, you can image my surprise when I saw all the negative letters to the editor.

First of all, her parents are loving, caring and very involved in every aspect of her life. Her father is also a Detective for the Aberdeen Police Department who has personally come and spoke to our Girl Scout Troop as well as supported our other projects. To suggest that her parents are irresponsible in any way when it comes to Emma's desire to hunt is truly unjustified.

As far as Emma and her comment about loving to kill animals, let's remember that the statement was made by a six year old. Emma doesn't love to hurt animals but she does love to hunt and there is a difference. Even at six, she understands what it means to hunt and the responsibilities that come with the sport. Emma's passion to hunt comes from her desire to spend time with her father, whom she adores.

When Emma announced to her Girl Scout Troop that she had shot her first deer, they were excited for her and even more thrilled when they saw her photo in the paper. Although not every child felt like hunting was something they wanted to do, they supported Emma's choice and were quick to congratulate her. In fact, my co-leader and I were so impressed that we presented her with a "Deer Hunting" patch that she proudly displays on the back of her brownie uniform. (FYI, the Boy Scouts give out hunting patches too.)

So kuddos to Emma for bagging her first buck!

Sincerely,
Rollie Sampson
GS Leader - Troop 1230