Loius Oosthuizen (Open letter to our British Open Champion)

Dear Louis,

Congratulations once again for winning the British open.

Your achievement was quite incredible, given your relative inexperience and the golfing giants that you were up against. You are now posted in the minds of so many who also live in hope of doing something good with their lives. You are a role model for the young in particular. You give meaning to the slogan "proudly South African".

So it was sad to hear that you had hurt your ankle and therefore could not play in the latest tournament.

What was really disheartening though, was to hear that you hurt your ankle on a hunting trip.

Louis, please lie on your back and look up at the night sky. You will see millions of stars. To date, we have been unable to detect life on any of them. How blessed we are to have a planet with such an incredibly rich diversity of life. Just take the weaver bird, with such a tiny brain, that can weave a nest of such complexity, using only a beak, something you and I cannot do with all our brain power and two hands. Consider how organized ants are; and bees too. We cannot make honey in our most sophisticated laboratories. Consider the swallow, just a few ounces in weight, that can fly half way around the world ... and back. Include salmon that, after years at sea, find their way back to the place of birth.  The list is endless.

Then consider that, of all these creatures, on this planet, we have been blessed with superior intelligence; the ability to think critically. Included in this package is the gift of appreciation.

Now Louis, why, why, why do we have a need to use these precious gifts in order to kill other creatures? How can the gratuitous killing of another creature be pleasurable? How can the taking of life be satisfying?

How do we hope to stop the killing of rhino by poor people in need, when rich people are killing for fun?

If, one day you travel through space and arrive at another planet to find all kinds of animals there, are you gonna send for your .308 rifle?

 Louis, so many now rightly look up to you. Please give us more inspiration by taking a stance against this barbaric practice. You are a fantastic sportsman. It is your opportunity to be a fantastic human being.

Stop the hunting. Stop this form of madness. That way you will leave more footprints in the sands of time.

Your one of many proud fans,

Chris.