The benefits of hunting

I'm a simple man of German-Dutch descent whose great-grandfather came here from Haaksburgen, Holland for the freedom we all take for granted. He scratched out a living in Leopold, Mo. He raised a family on what God provided for him.

The person who called in saying that the "professional" hunters who would be brought in for deer population control would be "hillbillies and rednecks": My neck is red from working 60 hours a week. If I'm a hillbilly because my ancestors came from Bollinger County, thanks for the compliment.

I've bow hunted for 25-plus years. A well-placed arrow will down a deer faster in most cases than a rifle. To get a deer close enough for a bow shot you have to get higher off the ground, which makes it safer than a rifle with a flatter trajectory in an urban setting.

People need to be careful as to how they categorize those they don't understand. As this economy spirals downward and store shelves become bare, inflation rises out of control. Don't knock on this hillbilly's door looking for a meal.

Between my garden and what I harvest hunting, I can feed my family and many more indefinitely. Hunters have provided for themselves and many others since the dawn of man and will continue to do so. We don't rely on the government. We provide for ourselves and others voluntarily.

Respectfully submitted,

TODD BEUSSINK, Jackson, Mo.