Town v country — the myths and realities

ON the issue of farmers v walkers, your leader writer (July 7) claimed there was an “almost complete rural/urban disconnection” in England and perpetuated the media myth concocted by the hunting and agri-business lobby of an urban/rural divide between townies who don’t understand the countryside and wise farmers who take care of the natural environment.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether people are pro- or anti-hunting has nothing to do with where they live; it is a question of the sort of people they are, and education. Nor is lack of respect for the property of others or the natural environment restricted to urban dwellers.

Many farmers see nature in general and any plant or animal that is not a source of profit as an enemy. One sees far more cruelty to animals and environmental damage from rural than from urban dwellers. Our lives are pretty much the same no matter where we live; we drive around in cars, live in houses, watch TV and go to work.